


In with the Tide

by Anonymous



Category: K.A.R.D (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Grumpy Min Yoongi | Suga, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Hye-rin kind of enchants people with her optimism and chill vibes, M/M, Min Yoongi | Suga is Bad at Feelings, Multi, No Seriously How?, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack Feels, Polyamorous Pack, Protective Bangtan Boys | BTS, Protective Jeon Jungkook, Protective Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Protective K.A.R.D Ensemble, Protective Kim Namjoon | RM, Protective Kim Seokjin | Jin, Protective Kim Taehyung | V, Protective Min Yoongi | Suga, Protective Pack, Protective Park Jimin (BTS), Scent Kink, Scent Marking, Sexual Tension, Shy Jeon Jungkook, Strangers to Lovers, Sweet Park Jimin (BTS), Warning: Eventually Gets Sort of Dark, because oops, but he’s trying, but she’s lost af, my hand slipped, now including smut, sis gets all the smoke and doesn’t even go here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:06:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 102,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: For beach loving college girl Moon Hye-rin, her solo day trip was supposed to be the perfect way to usher out summer, doing what she loved: surfing. It isn't until she wakes up dazed and confused, with people declaring her an Omega that things start to seem...off.Or, the story in which a girl stumbles into a world of A/B/O dynamics and finds beautiful Alphas and Betas willing to add her to their pack(s). All while juggling the fact that there may or may not be a shady group stalking her for equally shady reasons.
Relationships: Bangtan Boys Ensemble/Bangtan Boys Ensemble, Bangtan Boys Ensemble/Everyone, Bangtan Boys Ensemble/Original Female Character(s), Bangtan Boys Ensemble/Reader, Jeon Jiwoo/Jeon Somin, K.A.R.D/Bangtan Boys Ensemble, Kim Taehyung | J.Seph/Reader, Matthew Kim | BM/Kim Taehyung | J.Seph, Matthew Kim | BM/Reader
Comments: 122
Kudos: 421
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first ever attempt at a fanfic using K-Pop personalities. I'll try really hard to make it decent. It's an A/B/O universe deal!

Despite the sun beating down on her back, Hye-rin felt cold, wet and gritty with sand. There was a persistent buzz in her head, her closed eyes sticky and hard to open. Shifting just her legs, the dazed girl discovered how much her muscles ached. Faintly, she heard the lap of the ocean, which she'd recognize anywhere. And crunching, like feet coming across the wet sand.

"What the hell?" the exclamation was unfamiliar and male. Using a tremendous amount of effort, Hye-rin rolled onto her back, eyes peeling open to see...a bright, cloudless blue sky. 

"Stop!" someone else bellowed. "Stop filming!"

Someone crouched beside her, an arm going around her shoulders as she was sat up and offered water. The scent of aged cedar swept over her for some reason. Maybe it was cologne..."What happened, miss?" The question came from an older man with neat black hair and stylish glasses, wearing a lanyard. He wasn't dressed for the beach in his plain white button-up and sensible slacks with loafers. But at the moment, she cared more about the cold water sliding down her throat than his odd choice of beach-wear. 

When he felt she could handle it, he released the water bottle. Hye-rin took a few more sips before lowering it to smack her lips. "Wipe-out." she explained. "Bad wipe-out." 

Although it was a simple enough explanation, he seemed even further confused by the small frown on his face. "This whole beach is supposed to be reserved today. I'm going to have our medical staff look you over, and then we're going to have to ask you to leave so we can continue filming." 

That caught her attention, and the water bottle clumsily slipped from her hands. The remaining contents spilled over her already wet lap. "Leave?" she sputtered. "But why? I didn't even see any film crews when I got here. I didn't see it announced on TV either." 

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm afraid there's nothing else I can do." He stood up, straightening out his pants.

Staring down at her, he motioned over his shoulder, and a younger man in the more practical outfit of white shorts and a Hawaiian shirt came over with a first aid kit. "Chul Moo-ssi!" he panted slightly. "They said someone might be in distress?"

Hye-rin squinted, still bemused, as Mr. Chul Moo pointed down at her. 

"H-Hi?" Hye-rin reached for the water bottle, only to notice it was empty beside her in the sand. "Um, I think I'm okay." She said as he kneeled down and popped his kit open. "I've wiped out before, it's just been a while since it was _that bad_..." 

"I see," he hummed, quietly taking out some antiseptic and cotton balls. At some point Mr. Chul Moo must have walked off, because he wasn't hovering over them anymore.

Before Hye-rin could ask him where the other man went and what he was about to do, he was cleaning at some scratches on her legs. She hissed, trying to draw them away, only for him to stop her with a gentle hand at her ankle. "The strange thing about all this is that I was one of the first crew members to arrive. There definitely wasn't anyone surfing when we were setting up. It's impressive if you managed to sneak past security."

"I didn't sneak past anyone." she pouted. "I'm telling you, I'm the one that came out to a deserted beach. I do this every year, sort of a farewell to summer." Yes, she was probably being a little too chatty considering they very politely mentioned wanting her gone. But, she had to set the record straight. Whatever was being filmed here, she wasn't trying to crash it. 

"Ah, so are you a local?"

"Yes! I'm Moon Hye-rin." she said, smiling a little. "My ID and everything are in my bag with-oh!" She nearly kicked the poor man in the face, looking everywhere for her missing polka dot bag.

"It's nice to meet you Miss Moon. I'm Dae-Jung. Please keep still," Dae-Jung leaned over to begin applying some bandages to the freshly cleaned cuts. Hye-rin tilted her head, quieting down to watch him. He gave off a distinct smell, just like Mr. Chul Moo. Like old paper, maybe?

"Um, sorry about the trouble..." the girl said slowly. Although the whole situation still didn't make any sense to her, her parents had taught her respect. 

"You should be alright now." Dae-Jung closed his kit, eyes satisfied with his work. Hye-rin was about to start crab-walking until she too could find a comfortable position to stand, but there was no need. The medic bent down to offer his assistance, and she gladly took the help. Being on her feet came with a small wave of dizziness, but she was feeling better than when she came to. Now, she just needed to find her bag and her board. 

"Um," Fidgeting with the edge of her top, Hye-rin spun in a circle, trying to see down the beach. "You haven't seen a...board, have you?"

Dae-Jung raised a brow, shaking his head. "No, but if it helps you clear out faster I'm sure someone can help you look. Let me radio..." 

The man gasped as Hye-rin began to wander off, deciding after the trouble she caused the least she could do was collect her own things. Brushing by people she assumed were members of the film crew, she tried to discreetly tiptoe around the setup in search of her most prized belonging. Her grandfather had gotten her into surfing.

Teaching her the way he'd taught her father before her. Hye-rin had many fond memories of visiting her grandparent's in her father's native Brasil. She loved being in the water, samba dancing under the stars at night with her grandmother, and all the delicious cuisine. That surfboard was like carrying a little piece of Brasil with her to the beach, even here in South Korea. 

Anxiety began to build like bad food resurfacing in her stomach. Hye-rin could faintly hear what sounded like protests from Dae-Jung, but she kept jogging around, offering small apologies if she got in anyone's way. Maybe it was because the wipe out had taken more from her than she realized, but she was starting to get a little tired. Huffing, she stopped, trying to catch her breath.

Until she saw the gleaming blue and white surfboard, thankfully undamaged. It was in the hands of a young man who had to be close to her age, wearing black board shorts and a thin navy button-up that was open to reveal impressive abs. Most of his hair was hidden under a bucket hat, and his eyes were covered by some brand-name shades.

Even from afar, she could tell he was good-looking. Looks didn't usually do anything to her, her family always joking that her first love was surfing. But, she wasn't _blind_ either. Occasionally a fine specimen like him would make her flustered.

Hye-rin heated a little, feeling suddenly shy as she trailed closer. He hadn't noticed her yet. He was speaking to a young woman who was also their age with soft blonde hair up in twin buns wearing a modestly-designed black bikini with red trim. The two of them were examining her board. "Excuse me," she cleared her throat. "That's actually mine...hah!"

Someone stopped her from advancing any closer with a firm tug to her arm. The duo with her board looked up at the commotion, as several large men in black t-shirts and shorts sprang out of nowhere to block them from her sight. Intimidated, Hye-rin held both her hands up nervously.

"What are you still doing here? Are you sure you're not a persistent fan?" The impatient tone was familiar, and when Mr. Chul Moo stuffed her missing bag into her arms, Hye-rin couldn't hide her delighted squeal.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, beginning to unzip it to be sure everything was accounted for. Her car keys, for one. Rummaging through the bag, she wasn't paying much attention as she was escorted away by another firm hold. The young surfer was about to shoulder her bag when she remembered one very important item was missing. "Ah, I still need my board!" She attempted to turn around, to at least see if that attractive young couple still had it. Whoever had her (someone she assumed was part of security) barked into a small walkie. 

"Let's go." he said gruffly. 

Hye-rin nodded slowly, not making a peep. The wall of muscle that had popped up easily parted for them, or more likely her escort. The girl and guy she had to assume were celebrities or something were talking to an older man next to a camera. She caught snippets of an apology for the interruption and Hye-rin's heart sank with guilt. "Jungkook-ssi," said the man with her arm in a vice grip. 

The guy turned, holding her board and looking pretty natural, as if it was part of the shoot. "That belongs to her." 

His eyes weren't hidden behind sunglasses anymore, and Hye-rin blinked into wide, dark eyes before turning away at the same time he did. "Sorry," he mumbled, holding it out. She only knew that because the security man took it from him without so much as a strained grunt. "It's a really nice board." 

Hye-rin didn't expect that, and she couldn't help but smile. "Thanks! I'm pretty proud of it too." Turning her attention to the pretty blonde who was watching them curiously, she bit at her lip. "And I'm sorry about interrupting your shoot. I don't know what it's for, but, good luck!" That got a small smile from her that made Hye-rin feel less awkward. 

Nodding up at the big man leading her around, Hye-rin resigned herself to being practically dragged away again. She took a deep breath in and exhaled loudly. It wasn't the last surf of the summer she'd imagined, that was for sure.

First, her best friend wasn't here to appreciate it with her, having gone on a week long trip with her family. Then she accidentally stumbled onto filming in progress. At least the breezy ocean air always cheered her up. Hye-rin inhaled more of it, only to catch a very heavy fragrance that was not the salty seawater she was expecting. 

_'What is that? Must be someone's cologne.'_ She could have fanned herself it smelled so good. 

Nearly simultaneously she heard a loud gasp, though with the insistent tugging on her arm, all she could do was look back. The young man, Jungkook-ssi, was staring directly at her with doe eyes laser focused in her direction. He swallowed, a tattooed hand coming up to rub at his throat.

Somehow, although there was no way to confirm it, Hye-rin was positive that nice smell was coming from his direction. 

Too bad she'd probably never see him again if he was really a celebrity.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin gets more and more confused as the day goes on.  
> Jungkook keeps thinking about the weird surfer girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just went ahead and posted a second short chapter, because I felt motivated. Hope people enjoy it

"Dude, where the hell is my car?" she balked. The beach parking lot was full of dark vans and SUVs Hye-rin assumed belonged to the crew. But there wasn't a trace of her ~~beat up~~ well-loved Toyota anywhere. She glanced back at the beach. Did someone have it towed? Was it stolen? Who'd _want_ a twelve-year-old car plastered in peace sign stickers and a few logos of her favorite Western rock bands? 

The girl shook her head. It didn't really matter where her car went so much as it mattered that it was _gone_. That meant she needed a ride. Taking her phone from her bag, she was quick to scroll to the number for her parent's home, before deciding against it. The last thing she wanted was for them to drop everything because they were worried. Although he might fuss at her a little, Hye-rin knew the next best person.

Hitting the number labeled "Yeongie-oppa". The phone began to ring, and she started to hum quietly under her breath. It was her brother's day off from work, so right about now he would be taking it easy at home. Or maybe rehearsing a few covers with his small garage band. Either way, if he was inconvenienced by her favor, it was nothing a little bibimbap from his favorite locally owned restaurant couldn't smooth over.

Except that after the third ring, Hye-rin was surprised to hear the dial tone. A robotic voice droned about the number she was trying to reach either no longer being listed or in service. Blinking as the call clicked, she tried to make sense of the fact that her brother apparently changed numbers and didn't tell her. They were four years apart, but close as could be. It would be very unusual for him to forget to inform her. _'Unless he forgot to pay his bill?'_ Sure, her brother could be on the laid-back side, just like her. But he knew how to be responsible. 

That meant she owed him an earful the next time she saw him. _'In the meantime I guess I have no choice...'_ Instead of continuing to look through her contacts and trying to guess who was available, Hye-rin opted to call for an Uber and hope the driver didn't mind too much about her surfboard. Luckily, she had some ties to secure it to the roof of a car in her bag.

* * *

Jungkook entered the code to his pack's rented penthouse. The familiar scents of his hyungs made him smile, and it didn't take him long to find two of them after he slipped off his shoes. Taehyung was sitting in the middle of the couch, absently doing several things at once. He scrolled on his phone with one hand, occasionally smiling as he hovered over something that caught his interest.

Yeontan was tucked under one of his arms, wagging his tail when he spotted the youngest boy. Jimin had his head in their boyfriend's lap, his eyes nearly closed as he relished the fingers running through his fluffy pink hair. Both of them turned to greet him at almost the exact same time. "Jungkookie!" Jimin grinned, easily rolling up and off Taehyung, who was already shifting Tannie and patting the cushion next to him. 

It always warmed him how excited they were to see each other, no matter how short a time they had been physically apart. It always brought to mind what his parents told him about true mates when he was younger. Not that he wanted to be mushy in front of his hyungs.

They'd definitely tease him for it. Nevertheless, Jungkook was happy to be home from his eventful day, plopping down and putting an arm around his dark-haired hyung's shoulders. Not being able to resist, he began scenting his neck, indulging in the warm citron emitting from the older boy. Taehyung let him, squeezing closer as Tannie hopped into Jungkook's lap and curled up. "Did you have fun with Jiwoo-ah?" Jimin popped up, resting his head on Taehyung's other shoulder but looking over at Jungkook. 

"Yeah, I forgot how much more fun it is to be together in person." Jungkook grinned. He and Jiwoo had a lot in common, so they had always been close. She was more like a sister to him than a cousin growing up. And when they both decided they wanted to be entertainers, they would often encourage each other in their pre-debut days. As they grew older and their schedules more hectic, they saw each other less been tours and promotions, but their bond was as tight as ever.

Coincidentally, in what felt like a once in a million chance, they both were on break from work at the same time. And a swimwear company had reached out and asked if they could feature them both in an ad. To say they jumped at the chance to work together was putting it mildly. Because of that, everyone had decided to come along and enjoy Sokcho City while they were on break.

Jin-hyung wanted to go to waterside restaurants. Namjoon-hyung wanted to see the historical districts and the national park. Yoongi-hyung wanted to fish at the marina. And Hoseok was content to be wherever the group was, while Jimin and Taehyung loved to vacation and explore new places when they had the free time. 

Jungkook felt like he was indulging in the best of both worlds. He got to have his pack close-by for quality time, and see his cousin. The day had been great. They shot the commercial for summer wear together, and celebrated with victory parfaits afterwards. They took silly selcas, shared their desserts and harassed her packmate J.Seph on the phone for a while. 

Finally bidding each other goodbye, they parted ways, and that let his mind wonder back to the oddest thing to happen today.

"Aish, Kookie's already left us and he just got back!" Taehyung fake whined, turning to cuddle Jimin, who played along and hugged him in sympathy.

"Sorry," he pouted, reaching for them as if to join the hug. Nodding to each other, they parted to embrace him, only to shout in protest when Jungkook messed up their hair. Yeontan hopped down from his lap as the boys roughhoused, yipping quietly near their feet. 

"Yah, you're such a brat!" Taehyung shoved at him. 

"Where's our respect?" Jimin added, trying in vain to fix his hair. 

Jungkook tittered, never getting tired of being the cheeky maknae. "Aw, don't pout hyung."

He patted down some of Jimin's fly-aways. The older ignored him with a huff, and Tae grabbed his phone to do the same. "Did you hear something, Tae-ah?"

"Uh-uh." he shook his head without lifting it. 

Rolling his eyes at their antics, Jungkook slid an arm around Taehyung's shoulders like before, leaning into him to perform some apologetic grooming. Although his fellow Alpha wanted to pretend as if the ministrations didn't effect him in the slightest, the maknae knew all their weaknesses. The fingers of Tae's free hand was starting to tighten on top of his thigh. Jungkook placed his lips against the side of his hyung's neck, trying to fight his smirk as he laid a few kitten licks from the base to behind his ear.

Taehyung fidgeted as Kook kept innocently nuzzling and licking, even pressing a few broad licks to the top of his head, smoothing some of the more stubborn tufts of hair. It was when he nipped just at the edge of his boyfriend's scent gland that he got the best reaction. Tossing his phone to the side, Taehyung pulled him in for a hard kiss by the back of his head, hand gripping at the short hairs there. Jimin whining faintly made them both draw apart to see the pink-haired Beta watching keenly.

"Forgive me now?" Kookie grinned triumphantly. 

"I don't." Jimin muttered. 

Jungkook tried to grab for the sulking Beta, but Jimin wasn't having it, sliding further down the L-shaped couch so Jungkook collapsed in a laughing Taehyung's lap. 

To add insult to injury, the oldest maknae was quick to rest his thick thighs over Jungkook's back.

"Seriously?" the Alpha whined.

"Shut up; you're getting off easy." Jimin squeezed his legs around Kookie's sides, eliciting a groan.

"Hyung..."

The roles of tormentor and tormented had shifted surprisingly fast, but it was nothing new in their household. They were a polyamorous pack of betas and alphas.and that led to some interesting dynamics depending on who was feeling in what mood that day.

"Fine. If you don't move your legs I won't tell you what happened today." he bargained, counting on his hyung's attentiveness towards him coupled with the pair's natural curiosity. 

"Move, Jiminie," Taehyung smacked lightly at the thighs pressed into Jungkook's back. 

"Yah! Are you that excited to hear how much sea water he accidentally sucked in?" Jimin still swung his legs up, letting Jungkook escape before placing his feet on the floor.

"That wave came out of nowhere when I was sitting down," Jungkook protested weakly, "And no, it's not that. This weird girl popped up in the middle of filming..." 

"Weird girl?" Jimin and Taehyung shared an interested look. 

"Like...a sasaeng?" Tae asked, his deep voice rumbling protectively as he pulled their youngest mate closer. 

Jungkook shrugged. "She didn't seem like a crazy fan. She just...sort of came out of nowhere. The film crew said she was face down in the sand. She told them she was a local that came to surf and wiped out."

"Wait, I thought the beach was supposed to be closed down." Jimin mumbled.

"Me too," Jungkook agreed. Thinking back, she hadn't said or done anything to make him or Jiwoo uncomfortable. She actually kind of seemed like she didn't know who either of them were. "She took her board back and left without a fuss."

"Maybe she got on the beach from another side entrance they missed." Taehyung speculated. "At least she didn't try to harass you."

Jimin made an unhappy noise. "Yeah but they just got lucky. They should make sure shooting locations are really inaccessible to the public next time." 

"She apologized for making trouble," Jungkook admitted, feeling the need to further convince his hyungs she hadn't harmed him. For reasons he wasn't really sure about. "And wished us good luck before she left." 

The trio fell silent momentarily. "That doesn't sound like obsessive fan behavior."

Jungkook played with the string of his shorts. "What else aren't you telling us, Kook?" Taehyung gently began carding his fingers through the maknae's hair, scratching his scalp.

Any other time, Kookie would have melted. Only his hyungs could get away with babying him from time to time. He just hoped they didn't take what he was about to say the wrong way. "It's just...she was definitely an Omega." he swallowed. "And she s-smelled really good." 

The boys had been around Omegas before. Overseas and at home. Sometimes Omega fans would even try to entice them by not wearing scent blockers for fan signs. And it smelled good, but it was just like any other good smelling thing they got over after a while. Her scent...had lingered in his mind for some reason. Even now he could remember the tropical, flowery fragrance that was so pungent when the wind smacked him in the face with it. 

"Who smelled really good?" All three maknaes turned around in excitement to see one of their hyungs emerging from the rapline's temporary studio. A partial draw of renting the exact penthouse, was that it was built to accommodate a lot of people in the music industry who vacationed there. 

Hoseok blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light after being in a dimly lit room for hours. "Hey, Jungkookie," he beamed, walking to the couch to hug him from behind and peck his cheek. Of course, that caused Jimin and Taehyung to crane in his direction with betrayed eyes. Hoseok laughed, kissing them briefly too. 

"Kookie was telling us about his day of filming." Tae explained.

"Some girl washed up on the beach," Jimin continued.

Hoseok hummed in interest, leaning in to examine Kookie again. "Was she a mermaid?" he teased.

"No, a local surfer." Jungkook mumbled, trying to hide the beginnings of his blush. Here came the teasing...

"She smelled really nice though," Jimin giggled. 

"A nice smelling not-mermaid surfer girl?" Hoseok gasped. 

Jungkook wacked at them all with the pillow behind his back. "Yah!" 

The three of them laughed at his expense.

* * *

"Thanks for everything!" Hye-rin waved at the woman in the driver's seat of the mini van. As luck would have it, the person who came to pick her up not only had a vehicle that could easily transport her and her surfboard, but she had kids who played sports. So she was no stranger to tying things to the roof of the car. It had only seemed right to tip her generously for her trouble, watching the doting mother of three pull away. 

_'I should have asked her about that cinnamon air freshener she was using.'_ she thought. There was no sign of a clip on car freshener anywhere, but it was strong and very relaxing. Hye-rin sighed, wanting nothing more than to get in her apartment and remove her sticky clothes.

The water had long since dried, but the salt in it always had a way of making swimsuits uncomfortable after a while. The young woman made her way into her apartment's lobby, not recognizing the person behind the desk on duty but thinking nothing of it. Not wanting to bother the family heading for the elevator with a tight squeeze, she headed for the stairs. She only lived on the fourth floor. It would just be added exercise. 

Her flip flops slapped up every flight of steps, and she was starting to feel the strain in her tired calf muscles. If Hye-rin lived any higher than four floors up, she might consider just dragging herself the rest of the way. But that didn't seem like it would be necessary, because she made it after all. 

Trying not to drag the board down the hall, Hye-rin scanned the doors tiredly for her apartment number. Eventually, the brass numbers caught her gaze, and she chirped eagerly. Fishing out her key, she propped her board against the wall and began to insert it into the lock.

There was a lot less give than before, almost like the key wasn't a proper match. _'That's impossible. It worked fine this morning.'_ And she paid on time every month. Her landlord would have absolutely no reason to change the lock on her. 'I'll just use a little muscle,' she reasoned, preparing to all but ram it into place. Before she could dent her key in, a throat clearing behind her made Hye-rin instinctively straighten and step out of the way. 

There stood a tall, handsome man wearing scrubs and a thin smile. He had a beauty mark under his right eye, which were hard with suspicion. "Excuse me, but may I ask what you're doing?"

Hye-rin cocked her head to the side, flustered. It must have looked like she was trying to break in! To her own place! "Oh, uh, my key wasn't working, so..."

He nodded slowly. "I doubt it would..." Stepping forward, he took his own set of keys from his pocket. The door popped open in seconds. "This is my apartment. You must have mistaken it for yours." 

Gaping openly, Hye-rin stared between him and the now cracked door. He was starting to ease inside, and sure enough, the glimpse she caught beyond the threshold was not the interior of her apartment that she was familiar with. 

Despite the enormous shock (and growing panic) she was feeling, some innate part of her knew better than to flip out. The guy already looked too close to calling security if she did anything suspicious. Mouth dry, Hye-rin fumbled for the right words. "Oh, I'm really sorry. It's been a long day."

His eyes softened just a bit, and he nodded, accepting that excuse. "It's no problem. I work in a hospital, so I've had my share of those. Take care, miss." The door, _her door_ , shut in her face. Hye-rin grabbed her board and backed away from it. She didn't have the wrong apartment. That was the right number, and this was the right floor. But she didn't know that man, and his key worked. 

Something was _majorly_ wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more of the Bangtan pack being introduced. I hope I did alright with their dynamic so far. The others will come in soon-ish. Poor Hye-rin, probably thinks she's going crazy. It's one of those everything-is-the-same-except-not ordeals so it may take her a while to really get to the bottom of things.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin is forced to come to the conclusion that things are not right. Although, at least there are still kind people out there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know at first I didn't even know if this would be an AU where they were still idols. When I drafted the first chapter I thought possibly some of them are famous and some are not, like Jungkook and Jiwoo being models but not idols. For now, though, I think I'll stick with idols.

Someone growled at her as her board whacked their shoulder. All Hye-rin could do was throw a sincere but hasty apology over her shoulder, vision beginning to grow cloudy. She wasn't one to sweat small things.

But, whatever was going on wasn't what she'd classify as a "small" issue. Her car was gone, someone else was living in her apartment, her brother's number wasn't working, and when she tried calling home, a grouchy old man had answered the phone. Trying to contact her landlord yielded the same frustrating results. His wife answered, but informed her they didn't have a tenant named Moon Hye-rin and never had. 

That didn't even cover whatever was going on with her sense of smell. It seemed strangely amplified from normal. Being in the crowded streets, Hye-rin felt bombarded from all sides, taking in so many robust scents it made her head spin. Her throat felt scratchy, her nose was itching like crazy, and her chest felt full of helium. She swore her lungs would burst as she stumbled around, vision swimming. 

The day had started with so much promise. 

Hye-rin was so out of it, she didn't realize she was in the street until she heard the blaring horns. Leaping out of the way, a car zoomed past, the driver yelling profanities out the window.

She flinched, knowing it was her fault but still hurt. The man obviously thought she was a foreigner that didn't speak Korean, and the insult wasn't just rude, but pretty racist. People watched her as she tried to blend in as much as possible while lugging her surfboard, wanting to find somewhere to rest and regroup. 

Tiredly, she raised her surfboard over her head in an effort not to hit anyone else, and trekked through the crowd. The young woman knew she made a sight, dressed in her skintight wetsuit shorts and matching top. Hye-rin had no clue where she was going, just figuring she'd know it when she found it. The fact that the street was at least familiar brought a small bit of relief.

When she found one of the restaurants she frequented with her best friend, Choonhee, Hye-rin all but scrambled to get inside. Of course! Cheongchosu Mulheo had great food and a wonderful family running it. Through heartbreak over failed relationships (mostly Choonhee's) in high school to packing up on good food after studying for entrance exams, there was a lot of comfort wrapped up in the shop, and that was just what she needed.

* * *

Namjoon rested his cheek in his palm as he watched Jin sample everything in front of him. There was no doubt that his hyung was having the time of his life. Yoongi was squished into the corner of the booth, lazily recording for their oldest packmate and eating with one hand. Their oldest mate wanted to share an "Eat Jin" episode with his fans, and comments poured in complimenting the food, how good Jin looked eating it, or both. As usual, their hyung was sassy and playful, and ARMY ate it up.

Someone asked if Jin would be sharing any of his meal with the rest of them, and he laughed, promising that he would take some back to their dongsaengs just as soon as he sampled everything to make sure it was good enough. 

Namjoon bit into his own seafood dish and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. If that was the case they would be here a while. Still, he didn't regret letting Jin drag him out. The restaurant had multiple floors, and they managed to reserve one with a view of the nearby lake. Without people clambering to invade their space, they could enjoy the peace and each other's company without hiding behind disguises. Talking a little longer, Jin bid everyone watching goodbye, and Yoongi lowered his arm. 

"Let me see!" The broad-shouldered Beta made grabbing hands for the phone, and Yoongi passed it over. "Yah! You were supposed to get my good side." 

Shrugging, the Alpha in the corner lowered his white head over the bowl of seafood stew he was having. "You always say every side is your good side, so it shouldn't matter." 

"That's true," Jin's chest puffed as he stroked his chin, and Namjoon laughed while Yoongi sighed. "But this lighting isn't very flattering even for my handsome face."

Yoongi kept eating. "Now I'm responsible for how their lights make you look?" 

Namjoon listened to their petty squabbling, mostly one-sided as Jin ranted and Yoongi ignored. When Jin reached over to steal some squid from the rapper's bowl, the white-haired Alpha growled a little, blocking his chopsticks and then quickly eating the piece of food himself. The head Alpha had to laugh, because only the slight squint of Yoongi's eyes revealed the glee he felt over depriving his hyung a taste. 

Jin whined about how selfish Yoongi was being, even though at this point, Namjoon thought the dark-haired man should be full. 

"Are you really still hungry, hyung?" he asked. "I mean, I guess if you want you can have some of mine." 

Jin turned big, grateful eyes on him, and Namjoon scooted his bowl closer to the middle of the table. "I see I've got one boyfriend here who still loves me."

Yoongi turned to Namjoon. "You spoil him." 

Smiling sheepishly, he nodded. "I know, but..."

"I'm supposed to be spoiled as the oldest." Jin declared, taking what he wanted from Namjoon's meal. 

"Fake maknae." Yoongi muttered. 

Namjoon looked down at his phone, checking the time. "Anyway guys, it's probably a good idea if we do take something back for everybody." 

"We'll have to wait while they go and catch more fish." Yoongi replied thoughtfully. "Since Jin probably ate everything in the kitchen."

Jin glared half-halfheartedly. "I'm on vacation and you want me to hold back?" 

The pack leader grinned, warmth spreading inside at how even when they were going back and forth, he could feel the affection in the air. 

* * *

Hye-rin felt like some of the weight had come off her shoulders as soon as she sat down. There surprisingly weren't many customers at the moment. Usually it was a wait, especially during tourist season. But she was seated quickly, and the server said nothing about her surfboard, because in a city so close to the water, plenty of people came in fresh off the beach. The first floor cafe had tables, but her favorite was sitting at the bar area and talking her worries away with Choonhee over chueotang. She ordered, getting a smile from the young woman who took her order. 

That just left Hye-rin to think. Her phone was down to half battery life now, but she still tried calling her brother again. Hell, she even tried Choonhee's number, despite knowing she was off on vacation, probably thinking everything was perfectly fine back home.

Hye-rin got a voicemail. Not wanting to be too dramatic (though how could she be?), she tried to compose a calm sounding message. Really, she just wanted to hear her best friend's voice. So the surfer girl told Choonhee she missed her, and hoped she was having a good time, to just call her when she had a minute. 

Putting her cell to the side, Hye-rin began to think about what she would do for the night. She currently had no apartment to speak of, apparently. Not even a car to stay in. Was it worth catching a ride across the city to her parents? Someone else answered their house number. She didn't think she could handle it if she showed up on their doorstep and a stranger answered. Too much was already stressing her out. 

"Aw, whatsa matter?"

The girl jumped, nearly falling out of her seat. An older man reeking of something tangy and sharp had sat down at the bar beside her. The glass in his hand definitely contained some kind of alcohol, and his clothes looked a little disheveled. _'Someone started their weekend a little early...'_ she thought, trying not to openly wrinkle her nose. All things considered, Hye-rin tried not to be the one to judge, but she also just wasn't in the mood for whatever this was. Then again, maybe he was just well-meaning. 

"Just thinking," she said, working up a polite smile she hoped didn't invite further inquiry. Her brother and parents warned that there would be times when she was approached. Because of her looks, even after living in the Gangwon-do province all her life, people sometimes saw a foreigner.

Her light, ash brown hair wasn't too uncommon in South Korea, but in summer her skin glowed a deeper shade of tan than most were used to seeing, courtesy of her half-Brazilian heritage. That probably threw people off the most when she opened her mouth and spoke fluent Korean. 

Unfortunately, even that small response seemed to make his eyes glow with interest. He straddled his seat side ways and leaned into the bar. "I don't mean to be forward," he said. Hye-rin couldn't help but relax a little. He was polite enough. Maybe he didn't mean to come on strong at all. She felt bad for judging him so fast. However, his next words knocked her for a loop. "You just smelled distressed." 

Hye-rin felt her heart skip a beat, her brows no doubt drooping. "I smelled...what?" It was the alcohol talking, was her guess. If anything she smelled sort of salty, not that he'd be able to tell from across the room. 

He nodded, sipping from his drink. "Just thought you might be lonely. You're a real pretty Omega and it's a shame to see you sulking atta seafood bar."

"I wasn't sulking," Hye-rin scoffed, blushing lightly. "And thank you for your concern, but I'm fine, sir."

"Sir?" he sounded offended. "You don't have to call me that." he said, "Unless it's what you're into."

Hye-rin was wrong yet again. Her brother, Yeong-su, always said she had a bad habit of ignoring her gut feelings. The ones she'd had about this guy being persistent were right all along. He reached over and placed a hand on her arm. "You sure you don’t need company?" 

Pulling away, Hye-rin looked over for something, anything, to excuse herself. She wasn't really a confrontational person, but she felt crowded in and uncomfortable right about now. The server would be returning with her food any minute, but...

"Hey,"

Hye-rin was shaken by that deep voice, and by the presence of the man who had come over to the bar. He sat down on her other side, giving her a nod from under his hoodie. Something unfamiliar stabbed through her body like lightening. He just...oozed masculinity. And unlike the man trying to chat her up and saying strange things, having his large form so close didn't make her uncomfortable.

"Sorry man," he addressed the other male. "You mind giving me and my girl some space?"

Hye-rin's chest fluttered. His girl? She definitely had never seen him before in her life. But he was clearly trying to help her out. 

Sneering, the sleazy male set his glass down with some force. "Your girl, huh?" he shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "She's a total tease, foreign and probably loose anyway."

Hye-rin flushed deeply in humiliation. Anger was starting to well up, her fist clenching on her thigh. Something battled inside between speaking out and shrinking away from conflict. The heavy arm thrown around her shoulders was as grounding as it was unexpected. "Doubt that attitude gets you any action. Guys like you always have to overcompensate for the fact that they can't perform by blaming women that don't want them anyway. But she's not yours, so watch your mouth." 

The cologne wafting from his hoodie was strong when he sat down, alluring and woodsy. The scent grew even stronger after the warning, and Hye-rin had the strongest urge to turn and bury her face into his chest to take more of it in. Roll around in it, get it on her neck especially. ' _Calm down!'_ she scolded herself. _'He's doing a nice thing, but don't get ahead of yourself.'_

The man on her other side froze, not looking as taken by the scent as she was. He got up, nearly knocking his stool back. "What the hell ever." he grunted, bee-lining for the door. Hye-rin placed a hand over her chest, trying to make her heart settle as the server slowly walked over.

"I'm sorry for the wait!" she said, placing the dish down in front of the shaking girl. "Was that customer bothering you?"

Hye-rin wanted to reassure her, feeling bad about the sincere concern in the waitress's eyes, but her throat wasn't cooperating. "I handled him," The still unidentified, good smelling man told her. "Thanks,"

The waitress stared between them, then smiled softly, saying she would be back if they needed anything. 

Once she was gone, Hye-rin turned, taking in her savior. "T-Thanks." she ran a hand through her hair. He watched her intently, and she was afraid her gratitude wasn't emphatic enough. "Seriously, thanks."

Removing his arm at last, she assumed that would be the end of it. Bye to the protection and his amazing smell. Instead, he surprised her immensely by gently placing a hand in the middle of her back and rubbing. "You okay?"

Hye-rin had never heard two words form such a loaded question before in her life. "I mean, I don't really know you, and I'm pretty sure you don't need some girl dumping her emotions all over your shoulders."

"I've got pretty big shoulders," he grinned. "I can take it." 

"Honestly, I don't think I've been okay since I wiped out today. That," she motioned toward the empty space the creep had occupied. "was kinda just...the egg on top to really bad supermarket ramen."

The hand on her back stilled as he laughed. "Sorry about that," he sobered. "and about your day being kind of...shit?"

"That's a fair description." Hye-rin sighed, realizing her food was growing cold. Her chopsticks were still in the wrapping, closer to the hulking man listening to her worries than to her.

She didn't know how to ask him to pass them, but he did that without a word. Preparing to take them from his hands, he lightly pushed her questing fingers away to unwrap them and break them apart himself. Hye-rin ignored the heat when their fingers brushed as she finally got her eating utensils. 

Although it was embarrassing, a part of her preened at the attentive gesture. The first bite of chueotang was delicious, as always, the broth warming her to her fingertips. "I'm Hye-rin, by the way." she said shyly. 

"Matthew." He offered a big hand, and she watched hers totally disappear as she shook it. It was pretty Western, but pretty fitting for him. Matthew didn't remind her of more traditional, reserved Korean men, which was nice. Because Hye-rin had been "defying" the standard of the average woman in Korea her whole life.

"If you don't mind me asking," he cleared his throat, "Are you from South Korea?" 

Hye-rin normally felt like the question was meant to be a subtle jab when most people asked, but with him, she sensed nothing but curiosity. "Actually, yeah. But my dad's from Brazil. So I've spent a lot of time there too." 

His eyes widened, "For real?" 

She nodded, savoring the fish in the stew. Now that the scary moment was over, Hye-rin felt a little better. Talking to Matthew was kind of strange, because it felt like talking to someone she'd known a lot longer. And he continued to smell really good. 

"My dad too," he explained. "I love going there. You ever go surf the beaches there?"

Hye-rin almost forgot about her surfboard, and the fact that she was in a wet suit. "Every time my family goes to visit my grandparents." she explained proudly.

The conversation took off from there, and she found herself telling him a bit more about what had made her day so terrible. How she couldn't get in touch with her family, the fact that her car was taken. The surfer girl didn't bring up the stranger living in her apartment, because that was a little harder to believe than the other two things. 

Matthew was good at listening, and some of the things he said pulled a small laugh from her at the appropriate times. It was like having a reliable big brother...which of course only made her miss hers more. 

"I really wanna say thanks for coming over when you did."

"You don't have to keep thanking me." he reassured. "I don't like guys that see an Omega by themselves and think they can have their way." 

"He called me that too..." Hye-rin reflected. "I mean, I don't get it. Did he think I was in a sorority?" she rambled, mostly to herself. 

Matthew didn't answer, and when Hye-rin reached for her glass of water, she noticed he was openly gaping. "I...did you just say you don't know what an Omega is?" 

Hye-rin peeked around the restaurant, wondering if the sparse amount of other patrons was going to form an angry mob and attack her. The way her new acquaintance was acting, her lack of knowledge was a grievous insult.

"Is that...weird?"

Matthew kept his hoodie up, just the tips of his hair falling across his forehead really visible. That didn't stop from reaching up like he wanted to tug at it. "Uh, considering you are one, it's hard to believe, yeah." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has commented so far! I have wanted to wade into writing something like this for a while but always hesitated. K.A.R.D and Bangtan are the two main K-Pop groups involved in this story because I know the most about BTS but recently got very into the latter and don't see a lot for them written. 
> 
> Also, as people have already noticed and pointed out, in this world, A/B/O dynamics have a good bit of animal-like behavior involved. Grooming, biting, dominating/submitting, scenting, licking, etc are all pretty normal for people. Hye-rin not so much, since A/B/O doesn't exist where she's from.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The more comes out about what sounds unbelievable to both parties, the more they wonder which of them is truly the crazy one. Hye-rin places her bets high on Matthew, but she's not ruling herself out for going along with what comes next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I have decided KARD is not a K-Pop group in this story but BTS still is.

"Seriously, I don't know what you're saying." Hye-rin was getting both desperate for him to believe her, but also frustrated. 

Matthew's big chest expanded with the puff of air he let out. "...It's just...how? Alphas, Betas, and Omegas exist everywhere in the world."

Hye-rin mindlessly rolled the chilled glass between her hands, watching the water in the bottom slosh around. It was something to do with her hands while she thought. Her feet swang underneath the bar. "Then I don't know which one of us is crazy, Matthew." she laughed, her voice both amused and disbelieving. "Because at no point in my life has anyone ever called me...that."

"Omega." he supplied.

"Right," Hye-rin agreed. "If you say so." 

Matthew grinned wryly. "More like biology that says so. We don't pick our second genders."

Hye-rin stopped rolling her glass and looked up, "Where I'm from gender is a social construct."

"That's...still true. I mean, your presentation is nature but how you present your presentation is..." he threw one hand up. "Fuck, not the best at this. I've never met someone that doesn't know this stuff. Unless you're playing me right now."

"Nope," Hye-rin popped. "If I was playing you I'd have to also be playing myself, cause I'm totally lost."

"Well...that makes two of us." He sucked on his lower lip. Hye-rin watched the action in fascination, before mentally smacking herself. "And my pack's gonna start getting on my case if I don't show up with the food I promised in the next hour." 

Hye-rin tried to keep her face neutral, but really she had so many more questions. The word "pack" was one she always associated with hierarchies found in the animal kingdom. But he didn't make it sound primitive at all. It came out of his mouth like it was second-nature, making her curious. Was a pack for him a term for close friends? Some roommates? 

A gentle touch on the shoulder had her refocusing her attention. His face was peering down at her, "Hey, you all good?"

"Yeah," she flagged the waitress over so she could pay the bill. "I should probably get going too." Going _where_ , was the question. 

Matthew swiftly pulled out his own wallet just as the brunette server arrived.

Realizing what was happening, Hye-rin screeched in protest. "Ah, no way!" Without thinking, she laid a hand over his large one to push the money he was trying to offer away.

"This is for her food." The man insisted firmly. Tittering, the waitress accepted the won, and the extra Hye-rin assumed was a tip. Said girl leaned back, dropping her hand from Matthew's and staring at the amused waitress in betrayal. "And I'd like to place an order to go when you come back." 

"Sure thing," The waitress had a twinkle in her eye as she passed. Hye-rin caught the encouraging wink with a small blush. 

Once she was out of earshot, the girl rounded on Matthew to hit him lightly. "I could've gotten that!"

"Nah, don't sweat it," he chuckled. "You're a cool girl, I don't mind." 

Hye-rin did what she always did when her brother pushed her buttons just enough to fluster her. Puffed out her cheeks and began spinning a lock of hair around her finger. 

The laughter from beside her reverberated straight through her bones, leaving a very pleasant shiver in its wake. 

"Cute," Matthew cooed. "The girls would love you." 

Girls? Hye-rin wondered if he meant some friends of his as the waitress returned, prepared to take an order. Matthew rattled off a steady list of combinations, making her eyes grow wide. The nonplussed server only jotted everything he said down with a small hum of understanding. Well, she surveyed him from top to bottom. Matthew was big. He could probably put a lot away all on his own. And so it made sense to get a lot, especially when he also was buying for others. 

She smiled. They were lucky he was such a good friend, looking out for them like that. Starting to slide down from her seat, she opened her mouth to tell the man who'd been keeping her company for at least the last hour thank you once again. To Hye-rin, it didn't matter what he claimed, she'd never be able to say it enough. 

"You know, when I walked in here I just wanted some good food and time to think. But talking to you was really, really nice," Though she didn't do it often around people her age, Hye-rin bowed. "Thanks, for the company and just being decent. I needed that."

Some part of her, a part she hadn't really paid much attention to before, whined. Why did she have to leave such a big, strong, protective Alpha? Hye-rin practically heard the record scratching to a halt in her head. _'What's an Alpha, actually?'_ she wondered.

Matthew mentioned it before, but, she still had no clue what that Omega, Alpha, Beta thing was all about. Or why everyone was so sure she was a part of it. Yet her hindbrain just...knew? Knew that Matthew was safe and good protection? 

Hye-rin shook it off and bent low to scoop up her surfboard. Waving, she started to edge away. "Hopefully I see you around?" 

She didn't get far, definitely not more than a step and a half. All it took was him leaning over and one tug from his fingers to the ends of her hair. It didn't hurt at all, which was why it was baffling how swiftly her body reacted. Hye-rin let out an embarrassing little yelp, and the light touch dropped.

"Where you going?" Matthew prodded. "That sounded like you're saying bye."

His tone wasn't threatening, but there was still a quality that made Hye-rin freeze in her tracks. Craning her head around enough to peer up at him from her lashes, she shrugged slowly. "I didn't want to sit here and take up your whole night when you've got other things to do..."

He quirked a brow, as if she'd just suggested something totally unreasonable. "Like I said earlier, you're cool. And you know, if you hang tight, I'll give you a lift back to your place." 

Hye-rin was taken aback by the kind offer. Normally, a voice that sounded suspiciously like her best friend or parents would appear to scold her for even considering it. But Matthew had been just a cool guy the whole time they were talking. As dumb as it made her sound, Hye-rin had a...a good feeling about him and his intentions in her gut. _Instincts_ , the newer voice that replaced Choonhee was happy to supply. 

Taking her pause as nervousness, he raised a hand, and she noticed a silver ring on the index finger. _'Pretty.'_ Hye-rin admired as it caught the light. 

"Probably sounds weird coming from some big Alpha you just met. But I swear I just wanna make sure you don't run into anymore creeps."

Hye-rin understood perfectly, and she believed him.

The problem wasn't him at all. It was the fact that the only place she could stay was occupied.

Would he get suspicious if she asked to be dropped off at a hotel. Tourist season meant the prices would be a little higher right now, but she could afford a night. The pit in her stomach had Hye-rin rubbing her stomach in a way she hoped wasn't super noticeable. She didn't budget for a night at a hotel after she just paid her rent.

"Here we are! I'm sorry about the wait." The waitress popped up unexpectedly, and Hye-rin almost dropped her board. 

"It's fine," Matthew handed her his card with a grin. "It was a big order, huh?"

"Mm," she nodded. "Hope your pack enjoys." She took his card to a register with a twirl of her uniform skirt. 

Hye-rin titled her head. She used the word pack like she was familiar with the concept. That just didn't make sense. She'd been living here her whole life, and no one ever brought up "packs" or "Omegas" in every day conversation. 

"By the way," Hye-rin made a point to look at her nametag when she came to return the card. It said "Jiyoo". The next time she came back, she'd be sure to request her. "Would you please use that entrance over there?" she pointed to a side door. One that went to the back deck lined with outdoor seating. "We're about to close the front one." 

Hye-rin noticed that the few other patrons that had been dining were heading out, wondering why the restaurant was closing down earlier tonight. She knew from her own outings it typically stayed open late. 

"You ready?" As Matthew stood to join her, Hye-rin was made further aware that this guy was tall and built solid. The casual combo of a hoodie and ripped jeans did nothing to hide the fact that he was a slab of muscle.

There was probably no point in fighting it, because Matthew could easily throw her over his shoulder and still carry out the huge bag of food with no problem. 

Hye-rin nodded, taking some steps to the front of the cafe. 

Until, of course, her board struck again.

There was a pained grunt, a white-haired man stumbling away as he clutched his cheek. Realizing instantly she had wielded her surfboard as a weapon yet again, Hye-rin rushed to make it right. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I nail you in the face?" Instinctively, she tried to get closer and check his condition, only to almost knock him over again. He was quicker the second time, glowering accusingly at her. 

Flushing, Hye-rin put her board down slowly between their feet. Hoping he saw he wasn't being attacked, she raised her hands and stared him in the eyes sincerely. A loud, high-pitched laugh had them both gazing in the direction of an extremely handsome dark-haired man.

His eyes were nearly closed as he had a hand resting on the shoulder of a third man. His full, bee stung lips were parted with the sound of his infectious guffawing. And his sweatshirt didn't hide his thin waist and broad shoulders.

If someone whispered into her ear that he was a famous actor, Hye-rin would nod along wholeheartedly, praise him as being the talent of his generation. All without even knowing his name. 

"You alright, Yoongi-hyung?" A deep voice fretted. Hye-rin's eyes flickered to the tall man wearing a face mask with most of his hair stuffed under a baseball cap. What little she could see was silvery purple, and his eyes were full of concern for the shorter man hunched away from her defensively. 

"Aw shit," Matthew exclaimed. "Namjoon? Man, is that you?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, very quick update. Hye-rin is still confused as all hell, but willing to go with the flow for now. Maybe a little too trusting, but she'll have two protective packs around her soon enough so it's all good. Let me know what you think so far! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The older members of Bangtan pack speculate about where the strange Omega that Matthew picked up came from, and get a surprise when they get back home.

Namjoon blinked, “Matt?”   
  
Yanking down his hood, the older man nodded, grinning. His tousled rust brown hair fell charmingly into his smiling eyes. “Long time no see, bro!” He extended his free hand and when the Bangtan leader took it, he got pulled into a bro-hug. "Whoa," Matthew shamelessly patted at one of Namjoon's pecs. "You been making gains behind my back? You know that offer for the BTC is always open to you."

Flushing, Namjoon tried to play it off as casually as possible. BM wasn't checking him out or anything. Just handing out playful compliments and joking about his "club" like usual. "Give it up, man..."

Smiling proudly, the other Alpha shook his head. "Not gonna happen." 

Once the initial surprise faded, the Alpha was able to appreciate that it was nice to see their friend. Matthew was physically the strongest member of his pack yet incredibly soft and nurturing to his packmates. And Namjoon always appreciated that the older Alpha was pretty Westernized from growing up in the States.

He knew ARMY considered him the most Westernized member of BTS. They weren’t necessarily wrong, but, sometimes it made him feel like he stuck out too much.

Being around BM helped soothe that insecurity, and he had a loud, free-spirited approach to life Namjoon really admired. His attractiveness was just a bonus of being around him.

“Yoongi, Jin, great to see you both too.” Matthew greeted. Jin got a vigorous handshake, and Namjoon watched his hyung's face fill with awe at the power of the Alpha's grip. Yoongi, not really one for affection from those outside the pack, exchanged cool nods with him. Then, warily eyeing the guilty-eyed girl that had shuffled closer to Matt, he grumbled something about meeting them around back.

”Is he okay?” the girl holding the surfboard kept fretting as her eyes followed him out the door. “I really need to be more careful with this thing...”

Namjoon knew he wasn’t the only one trying to make sense of her presence. Jin, who had sobered up from his laughing fit at her awkward truce earlier, also studied her.

”He’s probably a little put out but I think he’ll be alright.” Namjoon found himself saying. The scent of distressed Omega was starting to nip at the air and it made him tense a little. This girl was a stranger, not pack. But with her shoulders up to her ears and that worried frown on her face, it was hard not to want to cheer her up slightly. Not to mention...she was drenched in Matthew’s scent, for some reason. And come to think of it, that new smell clinging to his hoodie when Namjoon leaned in was probably hers.   
  
That was a little weird.

Not that they saw Matthew and the rest of his pack with enough frequency to be fully knowledgeable about _everyone_ they associated with. It was very possible she was a close friend of Matt's. A girlfriend was...also possible...but seemed more unlikely based on the information Jiwoo told Jungkook.

While Jungkook's older cousin had happily been seeing Somin for nearly three years, the pack's overall relationship status was a bit more complicated from what he knew. J.Seph and Matthew had... _something_ that Jiwoo complained both of them preferred to dance around rather than act on. Frustration she relayed to Jungkook on more than one occasion. It was more or less for that reason Bangtan hadn't really approached, even though Namjoon remembered the admissions that he wasn't the only one that kind of found the male Alphas in the other pack attractive and endearing. He had, _they_ had crushes, one could say. Nothing anyone planned on acting on, though. 

Still, he couldn't help but speculate on who this petite Omega who nearly took Yoongi out without ever touching him was. She'd be someone pretty memorable based on looks alone if he'd met her before. The round, doe eyes reminded him of their beloved maknae. Especially when he was caught red-handed causing mischief or feeling pouty.

And the lead Alpha had to admit, he liked their shade, a warm amber with flecks of another color that could have been green. Tawny brown hair with a slight wave hung past her shoulders, currently curling at the ends around her heart-shaped face. Her healthy darkly tanned skin still revealed the light blush. And she was wearing a wet suit, of all things. It fit the beach motif and complimented the board, at least. 

The girl fell outside general beauty standards in the country with her complexion, wider hips and fuller form. But to Namjoon, that had its own appeal. Right now, practically pleading for forgiveness with those big, bright eyes, she was cute. "Ah, that's good." she mumbled, genuinely relieved by the small revelation. "I got myself in enough trouble for one day."

That briefly had the disguised idol wondering if she knew who they were and was being incredibly calm. Even if they weren't fans, most people would pale at being accused of assaulting a celebrity. No matter if it was an accident. 

"Which is exactly why I'm gonna take you home." Matthew declared, swinging an arm around her shoulders. The unnamed Omega looked up at him so reverently, there could have been stars in her eyes. 

"You've been way too good to me today." she breathed. Jumping, she smacked herself in the forehead before focusing back on himself and Jin. "Wait, you're Matthew's friends, right? He's _such_ a good dude. Today was starting to suck and then he swooped in," She made a motion with her arm, adding the appropriate sound effect for emphasis.

Jin giggled at how much she emoted. 

"So you don't know each other?" His hyung asked on Namjoon's behalf.

"Not before today." Matthew replied. "Some guy was giving her a hard time and I just stepped in. No big deal." That tracked perfectly with the Alpha's character, and Namjoon had no doubt he didn't see it as a big deal. Just the right thing to do.

But it was pretty clear the young woman saw it differently. The brief glimpse into their interactions made him think she was half way to smitten already. BM had that effect, though. He would know. 

"I'm Hye-rin." The girl volunteered. 

"Nice to meet you, Hyerin-ssi." Namjoon shook her hand. She smelled pretty good. "You're in good hands with BM." 

"BM?" she questioned.

"One of my nicknames." Matthew said. "Hate to cut this short, but I gotta get Hyerin here home and then feed my pack." 

Jin made a noise of understanding. "We should go too," He patted Namjoon's shoulder with the hand not clenching a bag stuffed with food. "We've got dongsaengs to get back to. Those kids better not have messed up that kitchen." Personally, he was more worried about the fact that Yoongi was still waiting around outside, probably impatient and seconds from storming back in to chew them all out. 

"Nice seeing you, man," Matthew was nodding with a huge grin. "Since it looks like we're both in town, let's catch up soon, yeah?"

"Yeah." Hopefully the pack didn't mind if he made plans for everyone. But getting the two packs together at some point shouldn't be too hard. Their maknaes were practically siblings.

* * *

His face was throbbing, and Yoongi came to the conclusion he should ice it. Jin laughed in the restaurant, and for that he got the cold shoulder on the way home. That didn't stop the Beta from fussing. It _never_ stopped him.

"It's kind of bruising," Namjoon observed as they climbed out of the car. The sun was starting to set on the day, welcoming in dusk. Crickets chirped faintly from somewhere nearby. "Not too bad though." Lifting a careful hand, their leader ran a thumb over the spot.

"Never thought I'd meet someone clumsier and more destructive than you." Yoongi couldn't help but be grumpy. And that little Omega better count her lucky stars, too. If he saw her again, some payback might be in order.

"She didn't mean it," Jin remarked nonchalantly.

They had all stepped into the elevator, with the oldest Alpha taking some of his annoyance out on the button he punched. He also didn't trust butter-fingered Namjoon not to break it and get them stuck between floors. It wouldn't even be the first time, sadly...

Slouching against the gleaming gold wall, Yoongi folded his arms. "You're taking up for her when she maimed me?" 

"She apologized," Jin tutted. "I found her perfectly polite. A little eccentric, like Tae-ah, but polite."

The chamber echoed with a soft ping, as they reached their private floor. Yoongi got out first, walking down the hall without a word. It was easy for _Jin_ to take it so lightly. _He_ hadn't nearly gotten a concussion from the business end of a damn surfboard. Because he was the first to reach the door, the rapper entered the pincode and let himself into the penthouse. 

Familiar, cozy scents assaulted his strong nose as soon as he stepped through the threshold. Yoongi had to admit it was hard to stay in a bad mood when the rest of his pack was around to wrap him in the feeling of "home". It had been that way for years, and the deepest part of him was determined to keep it that way forever. For all his reputation of being tough or sometimes cold, Yoongi had a planet-sized soft spot for his pack. They knew it. ARMY knew it. He knew it. 

The spot felt like it expanded every single time they wrapped him in their arms or the younger ones excitedly screamed his name. Needless to say he was a willing captive to the affection he was receiving at present, three maknaes and Hoseok pouncing all over him. He got hugs, kisses, nuzzles (which served the purpose of applying their scent while taking in some of his) and a million questions about his day. One of them being...

"Hyung, what happened to your face?" Jungkook mentioning it was all that was needed for the others to crowd him closer.

Jimin gasped, touching his cheekbone with soft fingers. "Looks like the edge of a door hit you. It's not like you to run into something."

Jin and Namjoon entered the front room, and everyone was torn between swarming them too and continuing to poke at his bruise. Hoseok had jogged away for ice, though, so at least someone was going to do something. Yoongi gently shook away from the pack's three youngest members, trudging to throw himself on the couch. Laying an arm across his forehead, he shut his eyes with a big sigh.

A light, gentle weight joined him shortly after. And Yoongi cracked an eye open just in time to see Yeontan lean in to lap at his uninjured cheek. He reached out and lazily tucked a hand under the dog's fluffy stomach, lifting the poofy little thing onto his chest. Tannie licked his chin as the white-haired Alpha stroked his back.

Footsteps approaching signaled one of his packmates joining them, and the smell was unmistakably Hoseok. The younger man got on his knees near Yoongi's head, turning his face with care. The brunette Alpha was known for his exuberance, for setting the mood, but he had his more subdued moments. This was blessedly one of them. Yoongi got a soft kiss over the bruise and then the cold bliss of the ice. 

"Yoongi-hyung...did you really get clobbered by a surfboard?" Taehyung had wondered over, Jimin and Namjoon not far behind. Jungkook, he guessed, had discovered the food from the restaurant and was in the kitchen. The theory was confirmed when Jin's scolding over saving some for the others reached their ears.

"Yeah." It wasn't his proudest moment, but he couldn't lie to his mates.

His hand stilled on a peaceful Tannie when both Jimin and Taehyung suddenly rushed to sit on the couch with large eyes. "Really?" Jimin asked. 

"Was it a girl?" Taehyung's deep voice was full of building excitement. "An Omega girl?" 

That wasn't what he'd been expecting...

"How'd you--"

Namjoon was cut off by Hoseok, who adjusted the ice pack to wiggle his numb fingers. "Ah, Jungkookie, do you want to tell them?"

* * *

Hye-rin fidgeted around, hoping Matthew didn't notice as he bopped to the radio. After everything he did for her tonight, lying made her feel so dirty. She was fighting the urge to out herself with every passing street that brought them closer to what used to be her apartment complex. But, she couldn't divulge to a stranger that she was mysteriously out a place to stay.

Firstly, Hye-rin wasn't sure what good that would do. It wasn't like she expected for him to put her up for the night, even on his couch. Then there was the fact of the matter that she didn't know how or why she had nowhere to go when just this morning she locked an apartment unit full of her belongings. 

There was a lull in the music as the evening radio host came on to talk. Unfortunately, that meant he could turn it down, and give her some of his attention. "You got a roommate you can call, let 'em know you're on the way?" 

"It's just me, actually." Hye-rin admitted. She and Choonhee had been _planning_ to move in together, just as soon as they found a good location close to their university. _'University!'_ The girl could have freaked on the spot.

The start of her second year was days away and she had no clue what was happening with her family, apartment and car. Those were things Hye-rin had to sort before she could even think of attending a class. Tuning back into the moment, the worried girl realized Matthew was waiting for her to say more. "What about you? Got any roommates?"

Matthew's thick fingers drummed the wheel. "Three. But I mean they're my pack, so no shit we'd live together." He laughed, Hye-rin feeling it was more at himself than at her. Like he couldn't believe he'd explain that he lived with his pack, because he assumed for her it would be common knowledge.

"Um, I guess you're all super close. It's nice of you to bring them dinner."

"It's just how it is. You look out for your pack. Always." Matthew said simply. "But yeah, we're the tightest." 

Hye-rin didn't need to see his face to feel the fondness in his voice. Matthew thought really highly of this pack he had. And, demonstrated by how much he had helped her, the people he kept in his inner circle had to be as special as he was. 

"So uh, hope it's not prying, but I'm guessing you're not in a pack just yet?"

Was he asking if she had close friends who meant everything to her? Hye-rin still wasn't sure she understood. Packs. Omegas. Alphas.

All of it went right over her head, but she didn't want to get into it again. It would inevitably cause her brain to rupture. "I don't...no, I don't have one." she decided to say. In her mind, the young woman was pretty sure that was what Matthew was expecting her to say.

"It's cool. Don't even sweat it. You're still young. Lots of packs would accept a chill Omega like you." There was that word again.

Hye-rin knew she was being comforted, so she nodded, despite being sure he couldn't see it. "Thanks, Matthew." 

"It's all good. Hey, this the place?" The moment she'd been dreading. His truck had pulled up to the very same apartment she'd tried to enter earlier on in the day. Heart pounding, she sucked in a deep breath, preparing to face the music.

"Yep, this is me. Thanks for the..."

He wasn't paying attention, rummaging in his pocket and pulling forth a very flash phone. "If it's cool with you, can we trade numbers? Hit me up and we can hang sometimes. I'll even introduce you to my packmates if you want. Pretty sure you'd hit it off with all of them." 

Accepting the piece of tech like a gift bestowed from on high, Hye-rin entered in her contact information with shaky fingers. 

"Dope." he gushed, thumbs moving over the touch screen. A faint buzz from her bag alerted her to a new text. "You can save my number when you get inside."

Inside. 

Forcing a grin, Hye-rin promised they'd meet up soon. Climbing from the truck, she went and retrieved her board from its bed, then rounded to walk in front of his headlights. Matthew stuck his thick arm out the window and waved, and Hye-rin returned it, adding a peace sign as she started to walk. It was a few slow heartbeats after she was sure he was gone that the lost girl spun around, trying to decide where to go for the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl, although I do ship BM and J.Seph with Bangtan in this fic, pining Namjoon kind of came out of nowhere. The ladies of KARD are awesome, and I almost added them to the giant mess of a polyship, but decided to show a different dynamic. So they're in monogamous relationship to each other. Where does Hye-rin fit into all this? Smack in the middle with protective cuddles from all sides.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin is still attempting to figure out why everything looks the same, but is completely different. But in her search for answers, she might have pushed her limits too far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who is already invested in this! It means so much. Seriously, you're great!

Rubbing at her eyes, Hye-rin stared into her cup of coffee. She didn't even like coffee. But these days she needed it more than ever. Fueling up on caffeine kept her running during the day. She couldn't find out anything useful if she was always too tired to focus. Picking up the pen beside her, she crossed off yet another name from her list. Another place she couldn't afford to stay.

And, without any sort of income and her cash starting to dwindle, things were beginning to look desperate. Hye-rin didn't have a job anymore, as it turned out. Her spot as a receptionist at a local gym was being occupied by a very enthusiastic college girl who asked if she'd like to get a membership. Calling her university was much the same bad news. They never had any records of her attending.

That prompted her to call her old high school and say she needed to get a new copy of her grades to send out to colleges. Except, Moon Hye-rin had never been a student. Head swimming, she contact the schools she'd attended as a child. Nothing.

Everywhere she went, nothing added up. It was as if she had just been erased. The world booted her out and then carried on spinning like she meant nothing. And well, Hye-rin wasn't special. She wasn't a celebrity or anyone who did something important. But it hurt. She still had to mean _something_ , to _someone_. Someone had to know her. Had to be able to explain whatever cruel prank this was.

There wasn't a whole lot of time to wallow in self-pity, though. Hye-rin needed to get her feet under her before she could curl up and do that. The first night wasn't so bad. She found a hotel that had fairly reasonable rates and gave discounts to tourists during summer. No one even questioned her when she said she was from out of town, and she'd paid in cash for a clean room with a shower.

Funny how little things held a much greater magnitude in hindsight. Hye-rin thought she'd be too wired to sleep much, but wrapped in nothing but the robe the hotel provided, she crashed as soon as her head touched the pillow.

The next day she got to work, suiting up in the only outfit she owned, the young woman checked out, claiming she was going to get in an early morning surf session. Being that she was playing the part of beach-loving tourist, no one gave her strange looks over her attire. In fact, there were definitely college kids her age also heading down to the beach. One group was nice enough to offer her a ride. 

Hye-rin always felt like the surfing community in Sokcho, even those who came in from out of town, was tight-knit and welcoming. Thinking nothing of it, she loaded into the van of two guys and three girls who were friends from Seoul. Trying her best to cover the incriminating presence of her satoori, she told them she was from Busan, but years living all over had kind of erased any presence of a dialect.

They accepted that without question, all introducing themselves individually. There was Minjun, who was studying robotics as a second-year, and Jiho, who was a first year in a political science program he wasn't all that committed to. Areum and Haewon studied fashion and Jae-hwa studied classical dance.

The ride was full of sing-alongs to pop music and Haewon complaining over Minjun's persistence to tell bad science jokes. Hye-rin felt...lighter. Some of the stress of her predicament melted away, and she could pretend she had no worries except catching the next big wave. 

When they got to the beach, her new friends rented some boards. Except Areum, who just wanted to relax on the shore. While they played around in the water, Hye-rin's mind was half focused on trying to run through what had happened the last time she had been to the beach.

That fateful morning had started out normally when she hopped in her car and gone for some solo fun. But really, she wasn't sure she could remember much after arriving. The next thing that came to mind was waking up face planted in the sand, feeling like she just went through a couple of washes on a heavy-duty spin cycle. As far as she could tell, the in-between might yield some sort of ideas. 

"Whoo, I think a big one's coming in!" Jihoo whooped, pointing out at the waves. Hye-rin nodded, grabbing her faithful board and running into the tide. Catching a good wave always made her body sing, made her feel one with the ocean. For the brief moment when she was at the wave's crest, she was invincible.

The single-mindedness Hye-rin displayed when it came to surfing was expected in her family. Her mother would playfully complain that she and her brother took after their father's side too much sometimes. But at every junior surf competition she'd ever competed in, the girl fondly remembered her mother's cheering was one of the loudest. 

"This'll be a good one." Haewon commented, right beside her. Hye-rin had to agree. She got waist-deep in the water and lay flat on her board, about to start paddling out. Turning to say good luck to the others, her eyes widened at the sight of the unfamiliar face that came out of nowhere. Terror squeezed at her heart, dull flashes making her dizzy as he assessed her coldly, then swam past on his board.

 _'Do I...know him?'_ She couldn't shake the odd feeling. No one else seemed bothered, so she kept her feelings to herself. But after that, the rest of her time at the beach, Hye-rin couldn't fight the growing paranoia that she was being monitored. By who, and for what, she didn't know.

When they were done surfing, Hye-rin exchanged numbers with everyone and told them she had something else to do. Jae-hwa suggested meeting back at the hotel around dinner, and the group left her alone. Of course, with the bad vibes she'd been feeling since her brief encounter with the stranger, Hye-rin didn't plan to stick around. 

But she had nothing but the wet suit on her back, and she couldn't keep living everyday in it. Finding her way to a thrift store, the girl surveyed what money she had left and made the decision to pick out some outfits.

Luckily, her parents stressed that no matter how convenient cards were, it was always good to have physical cash with her. A lesson she took to heart and was grateful for as she found three shirts and three pairs of pants. Another quick trip to a nearby store got her a pair of sneakers, and Hye-rin could at last go and change into street clothes.

Then, she got down to work.

* * *

That was...roughly a week ago. The group of surfers had left town, and she was alone again. No job, and not enough to keep renting a hotel room, Hye-rin did the best she could. The night she laid out on the beach under the stars, she tried to ignore how itchy the sand felt under her tanktop and in her shorts, and tell herself it was just like being with her family on the beaches of Brazil. It wasn't.

Another night was spent in the tiny rest area of a local park. That had been even worse than the beach, and somehow creepier. In the dark, Hye-rin swore she saw the face of that man again.

Job hunting wasn't much better. Several places she tried applying for, like bars, told her they didn't typically recommend Omega employees work the late shifts that they had available. Alphas and even Betas sometimes got handsy and their wasn't always a bouncer on duty to help. All Hye-rin knew was, this new world had placed a restriction on her that made her undesirable to certain employers. She spent a few hours trying to look up Alphas, Omegas and Betas on her phone. The flood of information was highly confusing, and because she had never heard any of it until recently, she had no way of sorting fact from fiction. All of it sounded like fiction to her truthfully.

Slurping down the rest of her coffee with a grimace, Hye-rin threw away her trash and pocketed the extra muffin she purchased. Real meals weren't in the budget now. Optimistically, she told herself maybe she needed a small diet before school, and that the cheap snacks she subsided on were doing her good in the long run.

The migraines and dehydration were minor issues, really. 

Mindlessly wandering led her to Cheongcho Marina, a great place for boat tours and fishing. Her brother complained she ruined fishing trips by being goofy and chatty, but she knew he secretly loved their sibling bonding time. The thought of her older brother made something wither inside, and Hye-rin jammed her hands in her pockets.' _Yeong Su...I can't believe I still haven't been able to reach you._ ' Not him, not her parents or Choonhee.

She couldn't find any traces of them on social media either. Or, naturally, herself. The pictures in her phone of them were the only thing getting her through it all. The newly-dubbed Omega couldn't have been happier that a few years back she bugged her parents to make all their family scrapbooks digital.

Leaning against the rail of the dock, Hye-rin took out her muffin, deciding on a snack break. The tasty blueberry-loaded treat hadn't even touched her lips when a seagull swooped in, snatching a sizable chunk.

"Yah!" she cried, protectively holding the rest to her chest. "That was low!" The bird didn't have a retort for his poor manners, circling around in the sky with the piece he took. More of them saw his prize and started to fly over.

"No, no, no!" Hye-rin didn't care how dumb she looked to the fisherman trying to enjoy a peaceful day of angling. The muffin was all she would probably have until tomorrow. And half of it was already gone. Sprinting down the dock with a pack of greedy seagulls flying so close some nipped at her hair, Hye-rin spun, narrowly missing plowing down a family of four.

"I'm sorry!" she said to the wide-eyed little boy standing with his parents. The birds were getting rowdier, determined to have their undeserved snack. Unable to stop and see if he was alright, she started to run again. The girl regretted it very much when she hit a random boulder and her vision blurred. Woozy from lack of proper nutrition over the last week, Hye-rin hit the wood under her feet with a heavy thump.

* * *

Jungkook lifted up the cooler after Jiwoo finished placing the drinks in it. The pair nodded in satisfaction, setting off down the docks to meet their packs. Being the maknaes, duties that felt more like chores often got pushed onto them. Like last minute snack runs before the group headed out on the water.

Jungkook whined about being asked to go, but he didn't mind too much. He just wished he wasn't walking around like a mummy in so many layers. Jiwoo had it a tiny bit easier. Sure, she was a popular model now, so sometimes she also dawned impractical, uncomfortable disguises. But at times like this she was free to simply go bare-faced with an over-sized hoodie and some sunglasses. 

"Do you need some help, Kookie?"

Although touched by his cousin's concern, Jungkook shook his head. "I've been working out for a while now, so this isn't bad." 

Smirking gently, she poked at one of his arms. "Trying to catch up with Matthew-oppa?"

"I wish," he sighed. Matthew's physique was drool-worthy. He and Namjoon-hyung almost got caught staring a couple of times. As they took the items from the snack shop back to where they needed to meet everyone, Jungkook caught a scent on the salty air. An aroma other than fish and sea. Tilting his head back, the youngest member of Bangtan pack tried to subtly inhale deeper. _'No way.'_

"Jiwoo-ah?" he whispered. His cousin, who had been swinging around a bag loaded with snacks, looked over at him and hummed.

"Do you remember that girl from the filming?"

"Of course," she giggled. "Why?"

"Um, no reason," he tried his best to play it off as a random question. 

The breeze blew stronger, gulls crying as they circled overhead. Jiwoo tilted her head up to watch and imitated their calls. Jungkook grinned.

Thundering footsteps made them snap their attention to the stranger barelling toward them with her chin tucked down and her arms circled around something small like it was precious. 

The pair was so surprised, neither said anything to warn her as she ran straight into the cooler Jungkook held. Gasping, her body bounced off and she hit the ground. 

Others on the dock turned at the commotion, and Jungkook became acutely aware of the amount of eyes on them. He set the cooler down fast and checked to be sure his mask and sunglasses were still in place. They were, and Jiwoo was crouching down to inspect the clumsy woman for injury. His cousin's small hand wrapped around her wrist as she felt for a pulse.

"I think she fainted!" The young Alpha saw a chunk of muffin, which was apparently what she was trying to protect, get ripped from her unclasped fingers by a brazen seagull and frowned.

If a seagull took off with his snack, he might have to fight it. That frown just grew deeper when Jungkook finally saw who was sprawled out and causing a scene. It was her. The surfer who had interrupted the filming and hit his hyung (on accident).

She probably didn't know it, but a week ago she had the whole pack in an uproar. After he explained what happened during the filming of the commercial, and a grouchy Yoongi told them about the restaurant, they deduced the girls were one in the same. Jin-hyung said her name was Hye-rin. 

_'Why's she keep turning up?'_ It would've been suspicious, but the idol knew she couldn't have possibly planned this. And if by some off chance she did, what was the point of fainting at their feet, and not even from excitement? 

He felt useless, just standing around speculating while she was unconscious and being looked at by Jiwoo and two concerned fishermen. Jungkook didn’t want to just stand and stare, but wasn't really sure what he could do to help. 

A soft groan made everyone pause, and bleary amber eyes slowly opened. Jungkook could tell she was still out of it, but Jiwoo helped her sit up and asked her if she was alright. 

One of the fisherman surmised she might have been dehydrated and brought over some water. "I...ah!" Hye-rin rubbed at her head, which was bound to be sore. "I can't believe I passed out like that."

"You hit our cooler hard and fell down, that's probably why." Jiwoo stated. 

Hye-rin's eyes bugged as she whirled to stare at Jiwoo, then up at him. "Uh...I did? I'm really sorry about that." She stilled, taking one long blink. "Have we...met?"

* * *

It was annoying to be out on the marina and so bundled up on a summer day. The group was standing around, waiting, most of them overdressed for the sake of maintaining what Jimin personally thought were sort of comical disguises. The man who had been hired to take them out on the water was tinkering around on the boat, doing last minute inspections. He was used to catering to celebrities, and hadn't said a word about the hold up. Probably because he got paid the same rate and then some either way. 

But if Jimin had to spend another minute under the hot disguise when he could be getting comfortable in the boat, he'd strangle their maknae. "Do you think they're goofing around?" he asked no one in particular. The worse option was that Kookie was recognized, and they were currently surrounded by clusters of adoring fans. 

"Hm," Taehyung thought. "Maybe?" 

Somin was in the process of texting Jiwoo while Namjoon-hyung texted Jungkook. The maknaes were playful when they got together, but the snack run was a short trip from where they stood. Maybe twenty minutes total to get there and back. Everyone decided this was a good day for the packs to rent out a big, private boat and just sail around for a while. No one, not even their resident genius, thought about how much they could all put away. Jin-hyung refused to step foot on a snackless boat. So they sent the two youngest to stock up.

J.Seph's phone started ringing, and Matthew peeked over his shoulder. He answered, and barely got out a hello. "It's Jiwoo," he mouthed. "She said they're coming but they might need some help."

"What happened?" Somin demanded. The packs were all on high alert now at the mere implication that any harm could have befallen them. 

"What's going on?" J.Seph relayed the worries of everyone. "I can come to you." 

A pause, Jiwoo talking.

"Huh? ...You need to explain as soon as you get here."

The call ended, and Jimin traded a curious look with Taehyung. They knew how much of a handful their Kookie could be, but he wouldn't do anything crazy to risk getting them exposed while they were on vacation. J.Seph wasn't going to go meet them, so whatever it was likely wasn't life-threatening. That left a whole lot in between though.

"Aish, those kids. What're they up to now?" Hoseok asked.

"Guess we'll know when they get here." Matthew shrugged. The big Alpha was so laid-back, Jimin marveled. 

"Here they come now!" Somin raised her hand to wave, a smile curling her lips as she spotted her girlfriend. But, her happiness faltered when Yoongi pointed out one very obvious difference from when they'd last seen the maknaes. 

"Who the hell is that with them?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People always mention the way geese flock in and mug people for food, but has anyone ever been set upon by a flock of determined seagulls? XD Poor Hye-rin.
> 
> But, now that she's run into the pack(s) again, maybe her luck will be better. She might get in some trouble once BM finds out she's been roughing it though. Do you all hope she gets in some trouble?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin gets exposed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think for the first time since posting this, I did not post a chapter last night. I wanted to but it wasn't possible. Sorry!

Matthew was not expecting to see Jungkook and Jiwoo coming towards them with a third person. Scent alone made his Alpha perk and his eyes widen in recognition. Jiwoo had a gentle hold on Hye-rin's wrist, speaking to her. The Omega's big hazel eyes peered around hesitantly at the group, and if she wasn't being tugged she might have frozen up.

He was glad to see her again, wondering why he didn't hear from her in the last week. A part of him was afraid maybe he read it wrong and she wasn't as comfortable with him as he was with her. But back at the restaurant it felt like they vibed.

When he got home and told his packmates he met a fun Omega girl, they had been kind of surprised. Explaining the circumstances helped, and Jiwoo then revealed she met a similar girl on the beach when she was filming the ad.

That psyched him up even more. It felt like Hye-rin really was meant to hang with them. Except that after she didn't respond to his first text, he decided to back off, let her make the decision.

A week came and went, and still no reply. Now here she was, looking a couple of pounds thinner and sort of bewildered. 

"Ah," Taehyung, Bangtan's Taehyung, said softly. "It's Kookie's surfer girl."

The younger ones were definitely interested, probably having heard stories from Jungkook and maybe their hyungs.

"We're back with the snacks," Jiwoo said casually. “And we brought a new friend!”

Hye-rin waved, a little stiff. “H-hey, I’m Hye-rin. I told them I’d be fine. I’m sorry to—” 

"Yo," Matthew couldn't help but gently maneuver forward from behind the others. "Did you forget my face already?"

She startled, jaw dropping comically. "Whoa," Rubbing the back of her frizzy head, she defaulted to mumbling at the dock. "I didn't expect to see you here. Jungkook-ssi and Jiwoo-ssi helped me out when I got attacked by seagulls just now," The group tilted their heads back as one to look up at the white and gray birds lazily coasting through the air. Hye-rin cringed, moving on. "And I realized they were at that ad filming on the beach, but I didn't know you were all friends?" 

"Yeah, our packs are close." Namjoon added. "Jungkook is our youngest packmate, and Jiwoo is theirs."

A strung gust of wind knocked into all of them, though it flipped the hood on Hye-rin's flimsy jacket up and over her eyes. 

Hoseok chuckled as she fought with her clothing, and Yoongi sighed loudly. "We were supposed to be out in the boat already." 

Hearing that, the Omega blushed. "Oh man, is this like a group trip I'm interrupting?" Before Matthew could tell her she was fine, the girl began to back away from Jiwoo. "I'll just...go. I appreciate all the help." she waved at the maknaes. "And nice seeing you and er, meeting the rest of you? Sort of?" The more she inched away, the faster she began to talk. "I hope you like your boat tri—” 

Something smelt off, and when Hye-rin took a sharp breath and fell side ways, he knew why. Jungkook was fast enough to grap at her arms, but her buckling knees almost took her down anyway. 

Without thinking, Matthew moved to help the young Alpha support her. 

"S-Sorry..."

"Don't apologize," Somin comforted, her scent warm and her tone gentle. "You clearly don't feel well."

Matthew wondered what had happened to her in the week since he dropped her off at her apartment. The once bubbly, alert girl looked and smelled so burnt out. Hye-rin shook her head without strength or conviction. "I'm just a little...just a little tired I think."

"She already passed out once." Jungkook revealed, still steadying her arms. Together, they slowly brought her to her feet. 

"Y-Yeah that was embarrassing, huh?" Hye-rin's eyes fluttered. "And you saw me get owned by freaking seagulls, too."

"I think we should get you somewhere you can be looked at." his packmate, Taehyung, ~~having two Kim Taehyung's in one place was confusing even in his head~~ suggested.

"Can I go?" Jungkook raised his hand, and considering Matthew knew how Jungkook got around girls he didn't know well, he kind of wanting to pat the kid on the back.

"Kookie, that's nice of you to want to help," Jin began gently. "But we need to be careful.” 

Jungkook pouted, “I could be careful.”

Matthew knew that wherever they went, even in their personal lives, they were always under scrutiny. With such a large fanbase it was inevitable.

At one point in time, he almost joined the industry to become an idol. But, being more behind the scenes as a music producer suited him, and he got to maintain a lot more autonomy that way too. 

“I’ll take her to a clinic with Jiwoo,” Somin volunteered. Stretching her hand out, she looked up at J.Seph. “Let me borrow your keys, oppa.”

Matthew hid a grin as J.Seph briefly warned her to be careful and then pulled his keys from his pocket. He knew Somin only wanted to take J.Seph’s car because she got nervous trying to drive his large truck. 

Somin made a happy hum, ushering Hye-rin gently to follow. Jiwoo ended up guiding her by the wrist again, with the weary girl trying to reassure them she was fine almost every step of the way. It chafed at his Alpha a little.

It was like she didn’t know how to let herself just be taken care of. Even being without a pack, most Omegas loved to be nurtured on some innate level, even the fiercely independent ones.

And seeing as it already appeared the girls took a liking to her, Matthew had the feeling she was going to get that nurturing whether she expected it or not.

”What should we...do now?” he heard Jimin asking.

“We can’t go without them.” Namjoon explained.

Wanting to assure the other pack Alpha it was fine to still have fun, he turned and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

”It’s fine, man. You guys go ahead and enjoy. Me and Tae can wait back here.” The younger Taehyung instinctively looked up, before sheepishly realizing he meant the other Tae.   
  
Jungkook shook his head. “But we came to all hang out together, today...” How did the other pack deal with those puppy eyes all the time? 

“Sorry Kook,” Matt just wanted to stroke the kid’s head like he was a little bunny. But he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be very appreciated. As he’d gotten older, the youngest member of Namjoon’s pack had become more insistent he be treated less like the baby brother and more like a strong, reliable Alpha. “We can definitely get together before everybody heads back home.”

Taehyung nodded beside him. “I agree with Matt. Don’t hold back because of us.”

Bangtan still appeared conflicted, but it was Yoongi who tilted his neck toward the boat. “It’s already paid for. Let’s just go. Otherwise I could have been sleeping back at the penthouse.”

Hoseok elbowed him in the side. “It’s too early for that, you know.”

“Well,” Namjoon rubbed a thumb across his bottom lip, thinking. “I guess...”

The man who owned the boat was reading a magazine on deck like he had all the time in the world. They should have been out there an hour ago, but it was like the dude had limitless patience. 

After a little more gentle coaxing, the bigger pack left to take the boat tour as planned, leaving Matthew with a somewhat confused Taehyung. "So that was the 'really dope girl' you met last week?"

He nodded. "Yep, that was her. Hope she's been okay. Hadn't heard from her since then."

Taehyung got quiet, but then it didn't take him much. "You're a big softie." he finally said.

Playfully, Matthew shoved at his friend, ignoring the flutter in his chest at the grin he got from Tae. "You wanna do lunch until we hear from the girls?"

Taehyung stared out over the water, watching boats moving languidly across the surface. "They did take all the snacks with them..." The other Alpha's soft voice adopted a slightly whiny quality. "I was looking forward to that ear of salted corn."

Matthew slapped a hand in the middle of Taehyung's back, causing the other man to stumble. "You're a weirdo, man. C'mon, you can get something better than corn." His own thoughts started to drift in a not so innocent direction, until the innocent answering look he got forced them down again.

* * *

Hye-rin took a deep breath in against the cold metal instrument pressed to her chest. The doctor clicked his tongue and asked her a few questions about her general diet, sleep habits, the usual inquiries. Although she tried to be polite without going too deep, not wanting everyone to know her situation, the girl knew how closely Jiwoo and Somin were listening. They sat in chairs in the corner of the office, side by side, looking for all the world like worried big sisters, maybe concerned parents. Hye-rin was on the stiff, crinkling paper atop the examination table, praying a week of basic homelessness didn't effect her health too badly.

Stopping to check off some things on her clipboard, the physician named Dr. Won leaned back. Hye-rin had only moment to give a sigh of relief. "Is she alright?" Jiwoo asked.

"I think you'll recover in time," Dr. Won said, shifting in her rolling chair. "You have a severe case of dehydration, which would explain your headache and poor coloring right now." Hye-rin self-consciously touched her neck, noting she did feel clammy. "You need to rethink your diet as well. You told me you've had consistent light meals lately. Mostly rice and vegetables?"

Dr. Won had the sort of eyes that made her feel chastised just looking into them. Deep brown and no-nonsense behind her glasses. Hye-rin remembered her old elementary school principal had a similar gaze. She never really got called into the office, but just running errands there for her teacher, she was intimidated and unnerved, like the man behind the wide desk saw through her. 

"I...yes." Hye-rin whispered. She was sure that trying to elaborate would make her tell on herself. 

The doctor tapped her pen against the clipboard twice. "Huh."

"I...I'll do better." Hye-rin promised. It was as if a strange, inexplicable urge to please had come over her at the disapproving sound. 

"We'll help. We can even bring her meals until she regains her strength," Somin added. 

"I would hope so." Dr. Won pushed her glasses up her nose and the overwhelming light in the room bounced off them. Thinking back to the anime characters her brother watched, Hye-rin had to fight a small giggle. She snapped to attention when the doctor stood up, still speaking to her. "Young people always think they have all the time in the world to develop healthy habits, but it all starts now. This is entirely preventable, so please correct it Miss Moon." 

"Y-Yes, doctor!" She slid off the table and bowed, ignoring the spots in her vision from the sudden movement.

Dr. Won bobbed her head in what could pass for a professional nod. "Please wait here and I'll return with some medication for the severe dehydration." In a whoosh of her white coat, the older woman slid from the office, shutting the door behind her.

Somin stared at the door, then scooted forward to the edge of her seat, eyes commanding and observant. Great, Hye-rin bemoaned, someone else that didn't miss a thing. 

"I know you don't know us well, but would you tell us why you haven't been taking care of yourself?"

"Good habits lead to good skin!" Jiwoo fist pumped. 

Hye-rin touched the spot under her bottom eyelid. Did it look puffy? Were there circles? The girls sitting across from her were both so flawless. Somin's orange hair was styled in soft waves that framed her face. Full lips painted a classic red to accent them. 

"Ah, Jiwoo, that was the wrong choice of words." Somin scolded softly, cupping the other girl around the back of the neck and shaking her gently. "You just look very tired. When you go home, do you have anyone who can look after you?"

Hye-rin flinched. She didn't beat around the bush, which meant she needed to tread carefully. Otherwise she would expose herself and look like the most pitiful, idiotic stranger of all time. "Uh...no? Not right now."

"Do you have family nearby?" Jiwoo's question was innocent, in no way accusatory.

Hye-rin wanted to become smaller regardless. "They're probably busy, so I didn't want to bother them with something small that'll resolve itself soon."

The girls swapped a look, one she couldn't decipher, but that seemed to convey a full conversation in seconds. 

"Where's your board?" Again, it was Jiwoo asking. 

"I had to hide it," Hye-rin answered without thinking. And just that simply, she found herself backed into a corner with both girls snapping their eyes to her. 

"Why would you need to do that? You live alone, so who would take it?" Somin wondered.

"I-It's a beachside city. Thieves take surfboards all the time?" The brown-haired girl knew she was probably sweating. Her shirt felt sticky on her back. Not much time to back track, and no better excuses really came to mind. When Dr. Won came back in the room she might just bolt. 

Tilting her head oh so expectantly, Somin leaned against Jiwoo without ever taking her eyes from Hye-rin. "Oppa said he took you home that night. What happened?"

Hye-rin made a point to look on the bright side to life as much as possible. Sometimes, the only thing separating the ability to go on from the darkest of days was perspective. It wasn't easy. People might see her optimism and assume it came naturally, but no one was cheerful all the time. When she struggled, she struggled terribly. But what she hated to do was elicit pity and worry people needlessly. The build of fat, wet droplets at the corners of her eyes had her biting the inside of her cheek.

 _'Don't!'_ she warned herself. _'Just don't! They're being nice, but it's not their job to counsel a hot mess like you.'_

The quiet sniffle in the small room was mortifying, and Hye-rin strained her face with the urgency to keep it all in. Despite her most valiant attempt, the dam broke wide open with the simple, reassuring touch on her back. Somin. She didn't know how but Hye-rin knew the faint freesia and spring rain scent was Somin. Absently, she leaned into it, soothed by it as much as the back rubs she was receiving. They let her break down, and between tearful whimpers, Hye-rin revealed everything she could possibly think of.

The way she woke up on the beach and then learned throughout the day that her apartment had been given away, that she could not reach any friends or family. That she wasn't sure what an Omega was, but everyone continued to call her one.

Lifting her head up from where it had migrated to on Somin's shoulder, through the watery eyes, Hye-rin felt she was being urged to continue. So she explained the scramble to get her life back together over the last week. How she had been unable to locate work in part because of her Omega status, and then about the inability to afford adequate meals or a place to stay. 

By the end of it all, Somin was stroking her head, letting her get the last hiccups out. A careful thumb wiped at her wet faced, Hye-rin huffing, slightly calmer. In fact, at some point Dr. Won must have come back while she was out of it. Jiwoo had a small pharmacy bag beside her, and was concentrating on her phone.

"What does Oppa say?" Somin murmured, continuing to rock them gently from side to side. 

Hye-rin perked at the word "oppa" figuring she meant Matthew or the other man she very briefly saw with them. 

Jiwoo's face lifted, a megawatt smile making her eyes sparkle. "Matt-oppa wanted to come, but I said we had it handled. They'll have everything prepared when we get home."

* * *

Taehyung watched Matthew watch the door, his leg jiggling so much he shook the bed he was sitting on. Everything had happened so fast, like a movie scene in fastforward. When Jiwoo texted from the clinic, Tae expected a report on the young woman for Matt's sake.

The big guy was friendly and he cared so much even about people he didn't know well. Apparently, Matthew already felt a connection to the Omega, which was something Taehyung felt a pang in his chest over, but pushed down. It was just Matt being Matt, there was no need for that...gloominess to take over. 

For someone with such big hands, the guy typed fast. He and Jiwoo traded messages rapidly for a while, prompting Taehyung to get up and go sit close enough to spy a little. Every update from their pack's Beta made his eyes widen further. Matthew's jaw was grinding and he kept erasing and rewriting his responses. Taehyung was surprised he didn't just call the girls. Maybe he knew he'd only upset himself more. 

Jiwoo explained what they had been told. Matt cursed for not knowing someone he now considered a friend needed help. Hye-rin was a young lady with no pack, and apparently no relatives who could help, living on and off the streets for the last week.

Taehyung worried that someone might try and take advantage of a lone Omega who didn't seem to have anywhere to go. He didn't know her well, but Matt and the girls were already so taken. It made it hard to stand in opposition when Jiwoo asked what should have sounded like a ridiculous request. 

But it wasn't to Matthew, who agreed readily. "We can all discuss it as a pack when they get here." The pack Alpha squeezed his knee, looking at him pleadingly. Like Taehyung held the final decision in his hand. That was when he understood Matt didn't want him to feel pressured to agree, that he wanted him to know he still had a say. 

Ducking his head timidly, Tae studied the pattern of the hotel sheets. So crisp from the room service that had come while they were out. "That's fine. I trust you, Matt."

The smile he received was bad. So bad for his heart, and the chaste kiss to the cheek Matthew planted without thinking was even worse. "Thanks, man." 

The knock had the big Alpha springing up, not even stopping to look through the peephole. The girls of course had a key to their room, just as they had a spare key to the adjoined room they were occupying. Still, no matter how close and comfortable they all were. The pack thrived on respecting each other's boundaries. Matthew slid the door open, his body taking up the whole door frame save a small inch above his head.

He laughed when he had to move back to accommodate a blue and white surfboard. Then Hye-rin came next, their packmates flocking in afterwords.

"Hey, we meet again," Matthew took the board away to get a better view of the Omega. None of them expected her to drop into a formal, submissive bow. "Words can't even express..." Taehyung listened to her becoming too choked up, not appreciating the stress mixed in with the hopeful scent Hye-rin let off.

An Omega in distress was hard to ignore, which was why he slowly stood, despite not knowing her well or what he wanted to do to help. Just that he wanted to get closer to the person who had enchanted 3/4th of his pack already. 

Matthew leaned the board against the bar counter, reaching for the emotional girl and dropping a hand to the back of her neck. The fact that it wrapped near entirely around the column of her throat, his thumb against the small dip at the base, spoke to what big paws he had. 

"Hey," he tugged her closer, and she came instantly. "You don't need to do that with us." Hye-rin didn't speak, but he must have squeezed lightly, because she bared her neck thoughtlessly. "We're all equals here, okay?" Stroking his thumb up and down her skin, the Omega nodded, eyes fluttering. 

Taehyung had been around Omegas, and seen how much they craved touch. Well. Alphas and Betas did too, but usually in different ways. And times were different. People knew better than to think every Omega was cuddly and submissive, or every Alpha bullish and dominant. It was too soon to say, just what kind of Omega Hye-rin was overall. Matthew said his first impression of her was a chill, easy to talk to kind of girl. As he put it, they vibed.

Early indicators denoted that Hye-rin was responsive to the low, calming rumble of Matthew's voice, which was nowhere as deep as an Alpha Tone right now. She also didn't think twice about showing him one of the most vulnerable areas of her body, and that was another strong sign some typical Omega tendencies weren't too far under the surface. 

Scooting closer, not wanting to interrupt the calmer headspace Matt was putting her in, Taehyung turned his attention to Somin and Jiwoo. The girls were watching Matthew and Hye-rin with hearts in their eyes like proud parents who'd seen their child make her first friend on the playground. 

Seeing his whole pack so soft and swiftly endeared to this girl, sort of made Taehyung think it wouldn't be too bad to get to know her as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin's found someplace safe! Throat stroking is a highly underrated form of affection imo.  
> There's more Bangtan pack again next chapter. I promise she'll have equal interaction and bonds with everyone eventually. I really can't tell who'll be more fun to write her getting to know, the maknae line or the hyung line. Feel free to guess who might pop up.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin didn't imagine so many gorgeous near-strangers would want to help her. Maybe, there's something to this Omega thing after all. But some of them are still wary about her.

Just a short while ago, Hye-rin never would have expected her luck to change so dramatically. Hoped, certainly. But hoping hadn't gotten her far lately. Now she sat curled up on a chair in the hotel room of Matthew and Taehyung (the second man).

Jiwoo gave her warm milk to sip on, noticing her acting cold. Somin dug up a light blanket to drape over her shoulders. It was the end of summer, so she couldn't explain the sudden chills, but the thoughtful gestures were well appreciated.

Tipping her head back, she bit down on her lip to keep from making any sounds, the large hand rubbing through her hair making it hard to concentrate. Since they got back, Matthew was very touchy, but she'd be lying if she said it wasn't helping. Her nerves were finally winding down after being on edge for days.

"So," his blunt nails against her scalp made Hye-rin vibrate in ecstasy, but she attempted to listen as he began speaking. "We make decisions as a pack. It's the best way to make sure everybody's voice is heard."

She nodded silently. Decisions made as a group. Made sense so far.

"Me and the girls, we wanna help you out. But if it's not unanimous then we've gotta rethink how, you know?"

"With you so far." Hye-rin gave him a thumbs up, blushing when she thought about how dorky it was. 

A quiet chuckle drew her eyes to Taehyung, who was trying to hide behind the fist at his lips. Everyone in the room was so easy on the eyes, Hye-rin couldn't help but find herself inadequate. 

"So Tae-oppa, what do you think?" Somin asked. "Should Hyerin-ssi stay with us for a little bit?"

"We're going back home after this week though," he pointed out. Cocking his head, Hye-rin wiggled when his deep eyes trained themselves onto her. "You said you're from Sokcho right?"

Hye-rin rubbed a slightly sweaty palm down her leg. "Yeah. Born and raised."

"But you don't have anywhere to go?" he muttered, bewildered. 

"I mean, I did have an apartment. And a car. And a job. Until last week. Everything's kind of snowballed into one big mess." Not sure what to do with her hands, she fidgeted with the zipper on her shirt. "I don't know what's been going on. I didn't even know what an Omega was before Matthew told me and still kind of don't..." 

The hand in her hair stilled, and the atmosphere in the room felt...awkward. Belching loudly in front of a crush awkward. Being the only one that shows up wearing gym clothes on a day without gym class awkward. Having an itch that would be inappropriate to scratch in public awk--

  
"How?" 

Hye-rin stopped trying to come up with analogies and stared over at Taehyung. 

"I just...didn't?" She shrugged. 

"I swear when you said that before, I thought you were messing around." Matthew's hand left her scalp, and she tried not to whine at the loss. Sure, Hye-rin liked a good hug, but when did she become this comforted by the sheer sensation of touch? Needy for it, even. "Were your parents, like, cultists or something?"

Hye-rin gaped at the notion, "No! Nothing wild like that. But it never came up."

"Okay, but what about at school? In Biology class?" Jiwoo mentioned. "Or, I don't know, help me Somin-ah."

"At school, at home, just...talking to your friends?" 

Hye-rin looped some hair around her finger and blew out a long breath. "No, no, and no. ...How bad is that, on a scale of one to bat shit crazy?"

"Bat shit crazy." Matthew breathed, carding a hand through his hair. Internally, Hye-rin felt like she was letting them down, or being needlessly difficult. 

"You're an Omega without a pack and you don't know anything about your subgender. But you've been living like this your whole life?"

Hye-rin couldn't dispute Taehyung because it more or less tracked. "Yeah, sounds accurate." She hated to ask the next question, because it kind of felt she'd blown their minds enough already with her ignorance. "And uh, packs? What're they? Obviously you guys are a 'pack' and you all live together so...are they just a group that's tight and sticks together?"

Jiwoo and Somin made indentical noises of shock. Which would probably have been cute if they didn't start whispering rapidly to each other. 

"Holy shit..." Matthew said, summing up the overall mood of the room.

"This can't be real." Taehyung mumbled. "You're pranking all of us."

Childish though it might have been, Hye-rin put a hand to her chest and held the other up. "Cross my heart I'm not." 

"This is very strange." Somin remarked, "I've never met anyone so..." she gestured vaguely.

Hye-rin grinned wryly. "I think the word you're looking for is lost."

"You can stay." Taehyung volunteered. Everyone looked at him, but he reaffirmed his statement with a friendly smile and a nod. "You're by yourself right now, and lots of people would take advantage of an Omega in your position."

"Oh, oppa is being sweet!" Jiwoo cooed. "Someone record this."

"Yah," Taehyung swatted playfully at her and she giggled, darting away and sitting in Somin's lap.

The orange-haired girl rolled her eyes, but didn't make her get up. The warm, close atmosphere made her envious. Any idiot without eyes could see how close the four of them were. Crashing felt kind of bad, and yet still nice not to be alone. 

"I appreciate it," Hye-rin smiled. "As soon as I can get in touch with somebody, I'll be out of your hair." 

"You got any leads?" Matthew moved to lean again the arm of the chair she was in, crossing his arms. 

"Not...really." Hye-rin flinched. "Just some pictures. Old texts. I don't know why it's like no one wants to take my calls...or has the same number."

Jiwoo was sitting sideways in Somin's lap, her legs tossed across the side of the chair to dangle. She wrapped an arm around the other girl's neck for balance. "Can we see pictures?"

"Sure," Hye-rin got up and trotted over to her backpack, pulling out the balled up clothes to find her phone. No one spoke as they waited for her to get to her photo album. Walking over to the two other girls, she held the screen so they could see. She chose an average picture from the last time the two of them were home with their parents together. Hye-rin was in a baggy college sweat shirt and some jean shorts and flip flops. Her "homebody attire" as Choonhee dubbed it. But it was so comfortable, damnit. Her brother had an arm around her neck, wearing an open blue flannel shirt with a plain black t-shirt beneath it and some ripped jeans. The other hand held the neck of his guitar. "This is my brother, Yeong Su." 

"Oohh, a musician." Somin cheered, impressed. 

"I wanna see now," Matthew shuffled over and Hye-rin handed the phone up to him. " _That's_ your brother?"

"Yeah?" Hye-rin collected her phone and stared down at the picture, hugging it to her chest. 

"Shit, I never thought you were related to the Moon Yeong Su. That dude's a beast." Matthew gushed, making Taehyung come over. 

"Yeong Su-ssi is her brother?"

Before Hye-rin could so much as get a word in, Matthew nodded eagerly. "Yeah!" He all but snatched a protesting Omega's phone away to flash it at his friend. For some reason, that seemed to impress Taehyung too.

"Okay, my brother's cool and all, but you guys are acting like he's some kind of celebrity." Hye-rin stood on tiptoes to carefully take her phone from Matthew's big hand and put it in her pocket. "How do you even know him? Have you seen his band play before?" 

"Band?" Taehyung repeated.

"Yeah, him and his band do covers at local bars and restaurants." Hye-rin puffed up, proud of how far Yeong Su had come. "They're getting an underground following lately."

Matthew squinted in thought, shaking his head. "I've never heard anything about him having a band, but it wouldn't surprise me. He's already involved in the industry. I respect him a lot as a music producer."

"Music producer?" Hye-rin knew her brother experimented mixing beats in a friend's shop basement sometimes, but to call him a music producer was pushing it. He was a private vocal coach and he gave guitar and keyboard lessons on the side now and then. 

"Doesn't he work with a lot of Western artists too?" Somin threw in. 

"I think so," Jiwoo replied.

"Ah man, if I was an artist I'd wanna collab with him in a heartbeat." Matthew enthused. "Still do, honestly." Taehyung nodded in agreement.

Head spinning, Hye-rin reclaimed her spot in the chair. "Are you _sure_ you're talking about my _brother_?"

"It's been a while, but that's him." Matthew explained. 

"Are you alright?" Taehyung asked. "You're looking dizzy."

Unable to stop herself, Hye-rin groaned. "Feeling it, dude. My brother apparently changed his number and didn't say anything and now I'm finding out he's got a secret career."

Some of the excitement in the room died down, the group understanding she was stressed. Strange how they could read her moods so well. Then again, Hye-rin considered, she'd always been an open book. "I don't know what's up with your bro, and I don't have his number..." Matthew paused. "But I think I know who might."

Hye-rin fell out of the chair in her haste to get up. "You do?! I'd be in your debt _forever_." 

* * *

Matt's call sounded urgent and yet oddly, excited. He said that he really wanted to talk, specifically to the rapline.

Namjoon was confused, but willing to meet. Getting Hoseok to tag along was really no problem. But Yoongi...unenthusiastic to have an early start on a vacation day, to say the least. The second oldest of the pack was dragging his feet, dressed entirely in black and with his hat pulled so far down, it was a wonder he could see at all. What wasn't covered by the accessory on his head was underneath his mask. 

They got up to the floor Matt said they'd be staying on with just a strange look from one of the housekeepers. That was a win, considering the fuss traveling could cause for the pack, even when they divided into smaller groups. 

"He said it was number 922." Namjoon thought aloud.

"That's it right there," Hobi was happy to bounce right over and knock. 

"Hold up!" The familiar, boisterous voice on the other side called.

The sunny Alpha moved back just as the door swung open and Matthew's broad frame filled it. "Hey, hey!" He pulled Hoseok into a hug, clapping his back. "Thanks for dropping by so soon."

"No problem, man," Namjoon was the next to get a hug. "We missed you on the boat yesterday,"

Matthew nodded at Yoongi in greeting. "How was that?"

The trio exchanged looks. "Well," Hoseok hummed. 

"Taehyung got seasick once we got out there, a seagull stole Jin's snack and he almost fell overboard trying to get it back, and Namjoon broke the captain's radio." Yoongi said flatly. 

Matthew clapped, laughing loudly as Bangtan's leader flushed pink to his ears. "Chaos wherever your pack goes. I love it." 

"Oh, you can talk?" Namjoon joked, jabbing him lightly. 

"I think it's mostly me and J.Seph that are the chaotic dumbasses but, heh. The girls have their moments."

Impatient, Yoongi clicked his tongue. "Are we going to talk in the hall the whole time?" 

"My bad, come on in." 

The three followed Matthew inside his cozy room, the door barely shutting behind them before Yoongi froze. "Do you seriously have that girl from yesterday here?"

"Hye-rin? Yeah." Looking over his shoulder, Matthew glanced around. Not seeing anyone in the kitchenette area, he shouted. "Hey, Bangtan's here!"

"Okay!" One of the girls shouted back. 

Motioning at the chairs and couch, Matthew headed for the fridge. "Just make yourselves comfy. Anybody want anything to drink while I'm up?" 

"I'm good," Namjoon took a seat on the coach with his hyung taking the spot beside him. 

"Sprite?" Hoseok asked hopefully. 

"You got it, man."

Matthew let the others get comfortable and brought over two sodas, handing one to Hoseok. The Alpha popped the tab with a smile, taking big sips. 

Noticing that neither of his packmates wanted to talk first, Namjoon glanced around. "Uh, you know it's always great to see you but, what's up?" 

There was a quiet yelp, J.Seph and the girls sliding into the area. The male Alpha had spread his arms in the doorway and stopped suddenly, causing all three girls behind him to run into his back. He laughed as Jiwoo smacked him a couple of times, easily shuffling her out in front of him. Somin joined his laughter when he bowed like a prince, extending his arm out as if assisting them out of a carriage. "Ladies first."

"Only because there's company," Jiwoo muttered.

J.Seph clutched his heart, feigning hurt. 

"Hi!" Jiwoo waved, ignoring her packmate. 

"Hey Jiwoo-ah," Hoseok waved back. "Hey Somin-ah!" The girls sat on the couch opposite the rapline at the same time. Hye-rin, who had been the last one down the hall, took a minute to join everyone.

"Hi again," she greeted.

Namjoon smiled politely, sensing her nerves. "Hey. It's Hyerin-ssi, right?"

She nodded, "And you're Namjoon-ssi and...Yoongi-ssi." The finger guns she made as she pointed at the white-haired man were cute. "I...don't think we've met," she addressed the brown-haired man drinking a Sprite.

"I'm Hoseok!" he introduced himself.

"Hoseok-ssi, okay." She sat beside Somin, who patted her leg. "Sorry about interrupting your plans yesterday. I hope the day wasn't a total loss."

"No, we still had some fun." Namjoon reassured, leaning his elbows on his legs. "I hope you're feeling better."

"Just a touch of dehydration." Hye-rin responded breezily. "Nothing big." 

"It was more than a touch," Jiwoo scolded. At that, Hye-rin dropped her face to hide her sheepish expression.

"Okay, well since everybody's together, we can get to why I asked you guys to drop by." Matthew took over, serious pack Alpha side emerging. "Our new friend Hye-rin's kinda got a problem, and she's been trying to contact her family."

"O-Okay?" Namjoon blinked, glancing at an equally unsure Hoseok, who'd set down his soda can.

The only Omega in the room reached into her shorts and pulled out her phone. Standing, she padded right over to Yoongi, the person who looked least interested in being there, and handed him the device. Regarding her with a strange look, he took the phone being pressed into his hand. "Matthew said you might know how to reach my brother?" her voice was small, but expectant.

"Why?" Yoongi stared down at the screen, which had gone blank. He tried to hand it back to her. "Your phone locked."

"Oh no," she pushed it right back, "I don't have a passcode on it."

The fact that in this day and age, she thought it was fine not to lock her personal device was his first hint this girl was off. But when he tapped the screen and it lit up, Yoongi couldn't help but do a double take. "You know Yeong Su?"

"She doesn't just know him, that's also her brother," J.Seph explained. 

Namjoon took the phone without any resistance from Yoongi. "Yeongsu-hyung is one of my biggest inspirations as a producer." His eyes gleamed with the same excitement that had been in Matthew and J.Seph's the night before.

"I still can't believe he's some big time music producer, and changed his number without telling me," Hye-rin pouted, leaning horizontal on her side of the couch.

"You're not close?" Yoongi prodded. 

"We are!" she threw up her hands. "We bicker sometimes about little things," Hye-rin scratched at her cheek.

"Like me and J.Seph!" Jiwoo said in understanding.

"Right, but it's never been serious enough for him not to tell me about big things happening with him. He knows I always cheer him on."

It was Hoseok's turn to get the phone. He oohed and aahhed over the picture like the others. "Isn't hyung over in America right now?"

"Yeah he is," Namjoon threw his arm across the back of the sofa and crossed his legs. 

"You've got to be kidding me!" Hye-rin exclaimed. "He's out of the country?"

"Maybe that's why you haven't been able to reach him." Namjoon suggested. "I think he's got more than one number, though," 

"Oh, do you think anyone at the company might have it?" Hoseok thought, glancing over at a crestfallen Hye-rin. No, he didn't know her. But seeing her look so lost didn't sit right.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Matthew admitted. "Hye-rin really wants to talk to him."

"He was supposed to be talking to us about collaborating when he gets back." Namjoon passed her phone back to her. "I can call today, see if anyone can help find out..."

"Wait a minute,"

The room turned its collective attention onto Yoongi, who was watching Hye-rin like a hawk. "How do we know you're really his sister? You could just be trying to find out his personal information because he's famous."

"Hyung, _we're_ famous," Hoseok giggled. "And she hasn't tried anything on us." 

"Hm," Yoongi's answer was noncommittal and Hye-rin furrowed her brow, lost once again.

"Are you not ARMY?" 

Hye-rin shook her head at Namjoon's question. "No, I've never been in any kind of military. I think I'd get myself killed in training," 

Hoseok burst out laughing, Hye-rin shrinking into the cushions when J.Seph and Matthew joined in.

"No, no," Namjoon was trying to be nice, holding back his own grin. "ARMY is what our fans are called. It's...you know BTS?"

Peeking out at him like a turtle from under her shirt, Hye-rin shook her head again. "What's that?"

"You don't know us?" Yoongi's phrasing made it seem like a skeptical question and a demand all at once. "You're from Korea and you never heard of our group?"

Matthew huffed fondly, patting her bowed head. "They _are_ kind of a big deal, Hyerinie." 

"You really were sheltered," Somin marveled. "I think it's kind of refreshing."

"Look, it's just a lot. You're telling me they're big superstars," she jabbed her finger in the trio's direction. "And Yeongie-oppa is a music producer, not just some vocal tutor. That doesn't even include the Alpha and Omega and pack stuff." The girl whined, tucking her head against her knees.

"What do you mean?" Hoseok blinked.

"She said she's never heard of Alphas, Betas, or Omegas before Matthew said something." J.Seph elaborated. 

"It's true," Hye-rin mumbled, sounding miserable from between her knees. "I tried to look it up, but that made the confusion worse." 

"Uh, **are you serious**?" Namjoon was so surprised, he accidentally switched to English. Hye-rin lifted her head enough to nod it, understanding anyway. 

"See, this is why I said I have a hard time believing this." Yoongi commented. "Yeong Su is a Beta that knows he's a Beta. How are you, his sister, clueless about this?"

"I just am!" she shouted. Clapping a hand over her mouth, realizing how rude she sounded, Hye-rin lowered her voice. "For the last week I've been trying to figure what the hell happened after I woke up on the beach. Everything looks the same but nothing is. And people keep saying I should already know about this and that, but I don't. I can't be anymore clear that I don't."

Taking out her phone, she scrolled to something and tossed it on the coffee table. Sniffling, Hye-rin slid up from her spot. "I think...I need to use the bathroom, sorry."

No one tried to call her back, sensing her need for space and smelling how overwhelmed she was. 

"Yoongi..." Namjoon rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "I get your concern, but there was a better way to phrase all that." 

Silently, the white-haired Alpha pulled the abandoned phone closer, picking it up to see what was on the screen. He was greeted by the sight of a much younger Yeong Su than the one he met at a company event. The lanky Beta was a preteen in the old photo, the same laidback smile as always on his face. His dark eyes focused on whoever was taking the picture.

There was a soft weight on his shoulder as Hoseok laid his chin there and watched too. The girl wrapped around Yeong Su's waist was unmistakably Hye-rin. Her hair was cropped into a cute bob around her chubby cheeks. She was wearing a polka dot swim suit and looking as carefree as her brother, a gap in her smile where she lost a tooth. 

"I don't think she photoshopped this..." Hoseok whispered. Yoongi didn't answer, swiping right. Another old picture. The siblings were even younger than before. Yeong Su was sitting on the ground, legs crossed. His hair was shaggy, nearly covering his round little eyes. Between his knees was a baby with wispy curls in a red onesie, head titled innocently to the side, standing on small, chubby legs as her arms were held by her big brother. 

"Cute~" Hoseok took the phone away to show Namjoon.

Namjoon stared hard at the image, sighing. "I have to agree with Hobi on this one, hyung. I think these are real family photos."

"There's a lot that doesn't make sense about any of this." Yoongi insisted, weakly.

"Yeah, I hear you." Matthew spoke up. "But I've just been listening to my gut, you know? It's saying Hye-rin's serious, and she needs help. That's how all you guys feel too, right?"

"Yeah," The rest of his pack answered as one.

"So should we get Yeongsu-hyung's number from the company?"

"Yeah, I think it'd be the right thing to do to help her find out what's going on with her brother. She's worried." Namjoon sat the phone back on the table as carefully as possible. "You don't have any problems with that, right Yoongi?"

All eyes fell to him. "...No. Go ahead." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know we gotta have somebody openly be a skeptic, and it might as well be Yoongi. I know readers are anxious to hear how she got to where she is, and I promise it's coming. In the meantime, at least there's a possible reunion with her brother coming. And more Bangtan interactions too, I promise.  
> Down the road, I think there may also be smut. Just throwing that out there before I forget. At that time I'll add the right tags and change the rating most likely.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Namjoon's maknaes take an interest, and Hye-rin gets a clue from the most unlikely source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, it's short but I like it. Please enjoy~

Jin had already warned him that Jungkook was looking for him, and their maknae was in a persistent mood. Namjoon had been slinking around in stealth mode all day, even out on the streets and in disguise, fully expecting to be bombarded at any time.

Not because of his celebrity status, but because when there was something his youngest packmate wanted it was hard to deter his interest. Truthfully, he didn't mind being bothered that much every now and again.

It was a part of being a hyung, and the pack's three youngest were each affectionate in their own ways. He was used to them crashing his V-lives, or poking their heads in his studio just to prod him into taking a break. After all, he wasn't as stern about interruption as Yoongi.

The pack Alpha was used to getting ambushed from behind and clung to for long periods. The pestering was usually harmless anyway, and when he needed a breather, ushering them to harass someone else wasn't hard.

But, coming back to the issue at hand...if Jin took the time to text him, he still kind of dreaded what would happen when he saw the younger boy face to face. Trying to be as discreet as possible, Namjoon entered their rental with what was left of his coffee in hand. Sliding off his shoes in preparation to dawn house slippers, he really should have noted the presence sneaking up on him.

"Hyung?"

Namjoon startled, nearly dropping half a cup of cold coffee down his front. 

Eyes widening, Jungkook rushed to take it away. "Sorry," 

"It's fine," the older waved it off, because he hadn't spilled anything, so it was all good. "Jin, uh, said you were looking for me?"

The young Alpha's wide eyes narrowed with a determined pout. "All morning!" he began. 

He felt his free hand twitch, wanting to pet the boy when he was being that cute. "Sorry Kook, what'd you need?"

"I just wanted to ask why you get to go see Jiwoo's pack and I don't." 

Namjoon blinked, dumbfounded that this was the burning question Jungkook had held in for half the day. Then again, he really should have expected it. Jiwoo was his cousin, a bond he had long before BTS was formed or the boys met.

The two were supposed to get to be together when the two packs went boating, but that hadn't happened. And he hadn't extended the invite to his youngest mate when he took Yoongi and Hoseok to see what Matthew wanted. But in all fairness, if he'd known the nature of the talk, he would've asked if it was alright to bring Jungkook too, so the cousins could pal around and talk. 

"You're talking about yesterday?" The two moved out of the foyer slowly, Namjoon going to the kitchen to dump what was in the paper cup. 

"I had a facetime call with Jiwoo. She told me the girl we met is staying with them now!" 

Namjoon nodded, part of him surprised their whole pack had opened up to a stranger in need just like that. It wasn't that Matthew and the rest were closed off and secretive. In his opinion, the other Alpha was prone to being too open. But he wasn't one to try telling someone else how to handle their pack's affairs.

All he could want was for them to be safe, and something told him Hye-rin really wasn't threatening. "It looks that way, yeah." He opened the fridge to dig out what was around. It was dumb not to pick up something on the way back, but with everything going on, the Alpha let it slip. Just then he'd kill for fresh japchae. Unfortunately, there was none to be found, and Namjoon settled for some half-eaten sushi someone bought from the convenience store. 

Turning, he found Jungkook still standing there expectantly. He at first thought to ask if the sushi belonged to him before digging in, until he realized it wasn't food he was after. Right. He really should have known.

"What's she like?" 

Taking the sushi rolls to the counter and popping the lid, Namjoon thought about it. "Kind of...odd. Not that it's bad," Taehyung could be kind of odd. And they all adored every eccentric trait he had. Jungkook nodded, settling to lean against the counter and watch him eat.

 _'Aish. This kid.'_ That wasn't enough to placate his thirst for information, apparently. "She seems pretty mellow, so I'm not surprised she's hitting it off with their pack. You already know she's a surfer. And oh, her brother's Moon Yeong Su. I wasn't expecting that, but he's a laidback guy and I hear he writes a lot of his best work out on the beach. So I guess I can see it." 

The whole time he spoke, Jungkook seemed to be anxiously taking it all in. Namjoon couldn't say he understood what he was so riveted about. But then, maybe he could... Hye-rin was a nice Omega around their maknae's age. If he let himself think back, he really enjoyed her creamy, delicate scent. He hadn't put a name to it just yet, kind of going between peaches and vanilla cream or ripe berries and cinnamon sugar. Something fruity and succulent like that.

And even if they were all happily mated, none of them even considering straying, they appreciated attractive people outside their relationship. They all got crushes. He was nursing a pretty big one on Matthew and J.Seph right now. Maybe Jungkook was growing a small one on the lost Omega. It wouldn't be that unusual, or bad. 

"Are we going to meet up with them before we go back to Seoul?" Jungkook asked, his eyes pleading. 

Namjoon stuffed some of the sushi in his mouth, noting that if anyone got to this a day later it'd probably be spoiled going by the expiration date. "I'm sure Matt wouldn't mind, Kook."

"Then...she'll be there too?" he wheedled.

"Ooh, hyung has sushi~"

Namjoon jumped, starting to grow annoyed with how people kept popping up and exposing his clumsiness. His chopsticks hit the container at an angle since he'd been in the process of reaching for another bite. Everything left went flying through the air, the leader swearing everything slowed down before it landed on the floor with a splat. 

"Sorry, Namjoonie-hyung!" Taehyung whispered, Yeontan trotting out from behind his legs to lick at the mess. 

"It's...fine." he sighed. Crouching, Namjoon shooed the little dog away, only for him to come dancing back as the Alpha tried to scoop up the rice into the empty container. "Would one of you hand me some napkins?" 

Jungkook's feet moved, and Namjoon was just about ready to give up on keeping Tannie from stealing a few bites. The Pomeranian got on his back legs, taking advantage of the drastic decrease in their height difference to lick Namjoon's chin. Almost like he was being thanked for providing a free meal. Jungkook's arm appeared in his line of sight, and the pack Alpha accepted the napkins with a small thanks.

"I really didn't mean to do that," Taehyung lamented. And there was no doubting the sincerity in his words. "What were you guys talking about in here?" 

Namjoon looked up at the second youngest and the maknae standing above him. 

"I was just asking hyung why I couldn't meet the girl from the beach. He took Hobi-hyung and Yoongi-hyung."

"Oh," Taehyung laughed. "She was cute! And you were right about her scent too, Kookie." Namjoon, having decided the floor was clean enough and the dog would take care of any stray grains of rice, stood to throw the napkins away. "Hey, he's right. Can't we meet her too?"

He could have been suspicious of their puppy dog eyes or asked what was so interesting about her. But the maknae line had an abundance of curiosity to spare, and if Hye-rin had piqued _his_ interest, no doubt she'd piqued theirs too. "She's staying with Matthew's pack right now, and I'm doing her a business favor, so...yeah, we might see her again."

"That's perfect!" Taehyung fist pumped. "We can invite her over."

"Just like that?" It would be absolutely out of the question for some random girl to come hang out with them, normally. But considering her brother was such a big music producer, Namjoon figured there were better chances she'd know how to properly conduct herself. Plus, she seemed genuine about not knowing BTS at all. Given that even if not every citizen in the country was a fan, Korea _did_ treat them as national treasures these days, that was pretty interesting. "You wanna be friends with her that bad, Tae-ah?"

"It's not just me," Taehyung slung an arm around Jungkook's shoulders and nuzzled his neck. "Right Jungkookie?" Though he had originally been the one to ask if the pack could meet Hye-rin, Jungkook grew a little red.

Namjoon grinned, shrugging, "Well, I'm not promising that she can hang out. That's up to her, but also up to the others. You'll have to get a couple more 'yes's before I make a final decision." 

Gasping, his eyes bright with the thrill of a challenge, Taehyung started to pull Jungkook out of the kitchen. "Done!" he sang, hardly giving poor Kookie a minute to say otherwise.

Namjoon shook his head, staring down at Tannie, who was watching him with a lolling tongue and wagging tail. They'd go and collect Jimin next, get him in on it. Then, they would likely go around petitioning the members one by one, collecting answers in the hopes of having Hye-rin over. What would happen if they succeeded, he wondered. When they put their minds together, the three could be very persuasive. 

Getting Yoongi's yes would probably be the hardest, but Taehyung had a special way of wearing him down...

"I guess I'll just let them come back and tell me how it goes before I start overthinking." he explained to the dog. Yeontan's cute little eyes melted into his face as he borfed adorably.

* * *

Hye-rin hadn't stopped thinking about the visit with Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi. Admittedly, in hindsight she thought she could probably have handled it better, but, all her emotions had exploded out of her abruptly. Luckily, when she reemerged after the bathroom, Somin and Jiwoo were quick to fill her in.

She had to admit, after the embarrassing way she'd handled herself, Hye-rin was decently surprised Namjoon had agreed to help. But, she wasn't going to complain. Thumbing through online records and trying to call every Moon Yeong Su (all eighty-four of them) listed as a resident in Sokcho City was not appealing. 

After that, sensing she had a lot on her mind, the group tredded gently with her for the rest of the day. She felt bad her mood might be dragging down the easy vibes, but also appreciative no one was pushing deeper. Somin returned her phone to her, and they had a light dinner with Taehyung making everyone crack a smile at his jokes.

As with the previous night, the two girls offered to share a bed and give her the other one in their room. Hye-rin felt guilt over this too, insisting she would take the couch instead of putting anyone out.

But Jiwoo wrapped her arm around Somin’s waist and kissed her neck, insisting that they would be fine sharing. Quietly, Hye-rin conceded the point. Her hunch was confirmed now, the couple announcing they would be going on a shopping date and exiting hand in hand. Matthew teased them about not having too much fun, and they playfully bantered back. Shortly after, he too left. To hit the hotel's gym.

Hye-rin got an invite, but politely declined, not in the mood to work up a sweat. It was little wonder the guy was a muscle pig. A physique like that didn't magically appear, nor did it maintain itself. His commitment to exercising was as impressive as his bulging biceps and defined abs. Hye-rin sighed, poking at her own arms. While activities like surfing and swimming kept her from being scrawny, or flabby, she didn't consider herself to be the picture of physical fitness.

More like someone who kept their body in decent shape, with the exception of her unfortunate penchant for sweets. Spread-eagle on the bed near the balcony in the empty room, Hye-rin tried to consider her options. Until Namjoon got back to her, she was just waiting. It might not be a bad thing to go next door and get to know Taehyung better.

He was responsible for making the decision to put her up unanimous. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she shuffled her bare feet across the carpet. Peeking through the crack into the connected room, she noticed Taehyung wasn't in the boys' kitchenette or on the sofa.

She walked by the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony and looked through the gauzy curtains. A beautiful view, but the older boy wasn't there either. Hye-rin was starting to wonder if he left the room, too, until she heard the water running when walking down the hall. 

_'Ah, shower.'_ The girl smacked her forehead, nodding to herself. ' _And what were you going to do if you didn't hear it? Waltz in the bathroom to check for him there, too?_ ' It was probably best not to get overly familiar with them and invading their privacy. Even accidentally.

Making the short trek back to her room, Hye-rin plopped down on the bed. Well. Maybe some TV? Since waking up to the odd state of the world, it never really occurred to check TV for clues. Finding the remote on the nightstand between the two beds, she switched the flatscreen on. Skimming channels, she found the normal stuff for daytime television. Some game shows, some weather reports, some dramas...None of it held her interest or jumped out at her. 

It wasn't until she landed on a channel she was unfamiliar with that Hye-rin couldn't help but pause. The people on the screen looked like foreigners and were speaking English. She understood a limited amount, but not enough to call herself fluent. A scene of two young surfers on the beach, running into the waves had her switching on the subtitles without a second thought.

They were chatting about enjoying the last days of their summer together, and Hye-rin nodded in understanding. "That was supposed to be me and Choonhee..." she told no one. The next thing she knew, the surfers were excited for a giant wave, getting ready to enjoy the ride of their lives. They whooped, the sparkling depths tantalizing. Hye-rin hoped she wasn't drooling. Was she _that_ much of a beach bum? Either way, she was alone so it was alright to live vicariously through these characters enjoying the perfect beach day.

It was over the next ten minutes of the movie that things got...strange. Hye-rin bit her lip as the skies above the friends turned dark out of nowhere. A freak storm dumping rain and churning the water. They were separated, shouting for each other, and she anxiously gripped her knee. Thinking he had heard his friend, the male surfer attempted to paddle back to the direction of her voice, only to look up as a monstrous wave crashed down on him, the screen going dark. 

Hye-rin gaped, imagining that could have been what happened to her, minus the bad weather. He was tumbled and tossed underneath the sea's stormy depths, struggling to get to the surface. Realistically, she had spent enough of her life on the beach to know he probably would drown in this scenario; but knowing it was just a movie she watched for what would happen next. At some point the character blacked out, and when he woke up it was to a bright, cloudless sky.

 _'I sympathize.'_ she thought, watching him sit up and cough out water, confused. After coming to the realization he had wiped out, the young man stood and searched up and down the beach in vain for his friend. Torn with grief after not finding her, the rest of the movie became a little too uncomfortably relatable. He stumbled around looking for any sign of his friend and some answers, finding that no one recognized him in the town he had always called home. By the middle of the movie, after a series of events, he realized he had been washed into an alternate reality than the one he knew.

"Huh...imagine that." Hye-rin muttered to herself. "Poor guy's in a world where he never existed." In the process of feeling sorry for him, she paused, a pit forming in her stomach. "W-Wait a minute... _ **Meu Deus**_!" 

Hye-rin bolted from the bed, not even waiting to see how the rest of the movie turned out. It was impossible, had to be made-up. But there were so many eerie similarities about their situations. For her, so much would make sense if she'd consider the possibility. 

"Okay. Okay," Hye-rin knew her chest was heaving and her vision was wavering, panic setting in and fast. "I...I don't know if that's it for sure." She paced, no one around to talk her down. "How the hell would this even happen though. That was a movie and this is real life! People don't just wash up in other realities in real life!" If he were around, her brother would ask if she was trying to take flight by flapping her arms so much. 

The buzzing of her phone on the charger was what grounded her, oddly. Blinking, Hye-rin groped for it, tapping the screen to see she had a new text. 

**Unknown** : Hi, this is probably sudden so I apologize. It's Kim Namjoon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least she finally has a clue now. I know it may seem obvious to readers that she would consider that sooner, but I think anyone from a reality where magical things like that don't happen would be thinking that's too crazy to consider right away.
> 
> "Meu Deus" is Portuguese for "Oh My God". Hye-rin is fluent in this language due to it being her father's native tongue.
> 
> Next chapter she's going to be getting to know BTS a bit better. I'm excited to write more scenes of them together.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin officially becomes acquainted with the maknae line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took a while. I'm in healthcare and sometimes I come home so exhausted... TT^TT
> 
> Last chapter, Hye-rin came up with a speculation about her situation, but I'm not ready to divulge more on that just yet, so take this fun chapter where she meets the eager maknae line.

' _Play it cool._ ' Hye-rin coached herself, climbing out of the car along with Somin and Jiwoo. The fact that a _valet_ driver came jogging over to park it for them and the tall, gleaming building they stood in front of screamed luxury. Even if she hadn't grown up here, she would have had the presence to know this was an expensive, exclusive area. 

"The boys always stay at such luxurious places when they travel." Hye-rin heard Jiwoo remark, as if walking up to any ordinary apartment complex. She, on the other hand, was timidly standing behind the other girls, feeling bad she hadn't had to pay to enter. 

"I can't say I blame them." Somin hummed, the duo seeming to know exactly where they were going. The key must have been to act confident, because none of the staff in the lobby questioned them. Instead, they were greeted and bowed to as if they were guests staying there as well.

The elevator they boarded had gold paneling and rich mahogany in the interior, Hye-rin resisting so much as leaning back against the wall as Somin navigated the button panel. But when a robotic voice announced the floor they would be heading to, Jiwoo joined her in gasping loudly. 

They lurched gently, moving up. Hye-rin couldn't help but go back to her thoughts after watching the movie. She hadn't shared her theory with anyone else yet, and wasn't sure at what point she might feel comfortable doing so. After all, aside from the strange labels attached to presentations, everything else about the world seemed much the same as it had always been. Granted, she didn't seem to exist. Aside from that, things were pretty normal. So telling people she thought she was in an alternate reality would probably sound just as ridiculous as it would back home. 

So, she didn't have very much to say as the elevator stopped and they got off. It was hard to concentrate and Hye-rin was feeling fidgety. Namjoon's text had asked if she would be available to come and meet at the group's rented penthouse, of all places. Not much more detail than that, which was cryptic. He did say he hadn't found her brother's number yet, possibly to avoid getting her hopes up.

Hye-rin supposed that was kinder than having her show up anticipating answers he hadn't found yet. But, it begged the question why he wanted to see her. Somin rang the bell, Hye-rin tried to make herself relax to no avail. It didn't take long for the sound of the door being unlocked to draw her attention down on the turning knob. Someone was waiting for them? Kim Seokjin's head popped out, and he smiled warmly at them all.

Irrational as it may have been, Hye-rin felt envy bubbling up. She tugged self-consciously at her green shirt's hem. In comparison, Seokjin looked so comfortable, his black hair shiny and his skin blemish free. The soft fullness of his lips, pulled into an expression of welcome, and the solid wideness of his shoulders, not concealed by his blue and white sweater. Upon first meeting, Hye-rin had felt flustered then too. It was a reminder of the obvious, that Seokjin was a classically beautiful man. "Come in. The boys have been waiting. Driving the rest of us crazy all morning."

Hye-rin started taking off her shoes as Somin chatted pleasantly with Seokjin about what smelled so good in the kitchen. She wanted to look to Jiwoo for guidance, since the blonde girl looked perfectly at home already, but several sets of footsteps from around the corner distracted her.

"Hyung, are they here?" The fact that the voice was male she expected. As far as she had seen, everyone in BTS was male. And although briefly introduced to all of them, she was far from confident in saying she knew who was who by voice alone. The smell drifting to her strangely sensitive nose was nice, citrus with a small hint of lingering spice. Hye-rin thought it was some exotic, designer blend of perfume. 

"Come here and see for yourself," Jin didn't really yell out, raising his own voice just loud enough to be clearly heard from a distance. 

A face came into view from around the corner, and then a second. Hye-rin vaguely remembered seeing both these boys too. Jiwoo wasn't really paying attention, having wandered over to stand by Somin who was still questioning Jin about a recipe. Not sure what to do, Hye-rin thought about joining them, but it would be rude to ignore the two boys when she was in their space...

One of them saved her the trouble of her indecision, walking right over with a wide smile, like he was pumped up to talk to her. "Hye-rin?" he asked, startling her with his baritone. 

"That's me," she replied, taking in his dark, wavy hair, spilling softly into inquisitive eyes. Lately, she felt outclassed everywhere she went. Running into someone pretty happened as easily as breathing, and this man was no different. The muted colors of the brown and gray button-up was a little avante-garde, one of those repeating box patterns not everyone could pull off; but coupled with his jeans it worked. She got the impression he was a creative person. Hye-rin also couldn't help but admire the tone of his skin, always comforted to run into people a little tanner than the average Korean. That way, she stood out less. 

"You don't remember us?" he pouted. 

A stab of inexplicable panic that she had upset him coursed through her body. "No?" she squeaked. 

"Why would she?" a second, softer voice retorted. It was the voice that'd asked Seokjin if they'd arrived. "It's not like we really met before." Hye-rin couldn't believe good looking guys were literally spilling out of the corners. This one with round cheeks, pink hair and...

' _His mouth's really cute.'_ Thankfully, that thought didn't escape from her lips, or she'd have to go look for a corner to butt her head against.

He looked comfy in a baggy t-shirt with a white paw print in the center, arms covered by the white shirt under that one. The t-shirt's hem fell past his waist and his jeans had rips of varying sizes down the legs, but both his knees were visible. "I'm Jimin," he waved, and Hye-rin had to stop herself from being an idiot who waved back dopily, taken in by his smile and the way it crinkled his eyes. "That's Taehyung." 

"Another Taehyung!" Hye-rin exclaimed.

The Taehyung in front of her furrowed his brow, but Jimin giggled. "Are you talking about J.Seph?" 

Cycling back through recent memory, she did recall that the older Taehyung was also sometimes called that by his friends. 

"Uh yeah," she coughed lightly, hoping the boys wouldn't pick up on her embarrassment. 

"Just call me Tae if it helps." Taehyung offered. "There's someone else who wanted to see you, but, guess he chickened out."

"Oi, I wasn't ready." Hye-rin nearly jumped. But when she saw the boy glaring at Tae, her heart skipped a beat.

"You're Jungkook-ssi, from before." 

"Aw, Kookie's the only one she remembers right away." Tae pretended to cry. Yet a third boy came from down the hallway, dressed in a black hoodie with a gaming logo Hye-rin vaguely recognized, wearing jeans just like the other two. 

"It's only because I knew his name already." Hye-rin tried to console Tae. Standing so close to them gifted her nose with a bunch of new smells, pleasant and distinct but intermingled together. 

"Don't pay any attention to their antics," Jin called from the kitchen. "They're very good at pretending to be charming."

"Someone's acting jealous," Jimin sang. "You can't always be the center of attention, hyung."

Jin rolled his eyes, Somin and Jiwoo smiling at the banter. "Don't crowd people. Not everyone likes that." 

"They're fine," Hye-rin looked over at the boys, who had indeed adopted doe-eyed expressions of innocence. "And not to be rude, but I thought Namjoon-ssi wanted to talk to me?"

"Namjoon?" Seokjin said. "He's not home right now."

"It's okay though," Tae explained. "We asked him if you could come over so we could talk to you too,"

"Thanks?" Hye-rin defaulted to looping her hair around a finger. "Not the most interesting person, but I appreciate it."

"That means you'll let us give you a tour?" Jimin chirped, his eyes disappearing again. 

Hye-rin shrugged. "As long as I'm not keeping anyone waiting or getting in the way." 

"Take the tour," Somin urged, waving both hands in a shooing motion. "Tell us about everything later."

"Later?" Hye-rin squinted. "But I thought..."

"Actually, if you're okay with it, we want to tour some of the cafes here in Sokcho City." Jiwoo explained. "We want to see the differences here and back home." 

"O-Oh," Hye-rin didn't really want to say it _wasn't_ okay. Because they'd already helped her tremendously and how they spent their free time was up to them. 

"They run their own cafe back in Seoul." Seokjin gushed, stars in his eyes. "I'm very fond of Somin's famous yaksik." Just the thought of the sweet rice dish made Hye-rin's mouth water, imagining the syrupy taste. While no one was paying attention, she dabbed at her mouth with the edge of her sleeve. 

"Famous?!" Somin covered her face. "Jin-oppa, you're being too nice to me. Mine isn't any better than anyone else's."

"Yes, it is!" Tae argued. "It was featured in three magazines about the best food in Seoul last year." Hearing that made Hye-rin feel even worse about being such a freeloader to her new friends. They were so incredible, taking in strangers and owning their own business. She was pretty plain, pretty lost, and pretty penniless. 

"I like the bukkumi." said the pink-haired boy. 

Jungkook wrinkled his nose, "That's too sweet." 

The complaint caused Jimin to try reaching up to place him in a headlock. "Then why do you always try to steal some off my plate?"

"I'm a growing boy, hyung." The maknae cackled, pushing his hands away and easily fending the older off. Despite their "arguing", Hye-rin could sense the fondness and it reminded her of the way she and Yeong Su would go back and forth but usually never mean it.

Jimin glared. "You're twenty-one!" 

"Oh, we're the same age." The boys stopped their horsing around, looking over at her in interest.

"When's your birthday?" Tae asked. 

"September twelfth." Hye-rin revealed. "I read somewhere that's the most common birthday, like, ever." 

The reactions to her birth date varied, giving her a case of whiplash.

"Another baby." Jin commented. 

Jimin giggled, playfully wrapping a hand around the back of the maknae's neck and shaking. "Someone's finally younger than you, Kookie!"

"You have the same birthday as RM-hyung!" Jungkook blurted.

"R...M?" She had to guess it was another member of their group, but she had only just learned everyone's real names. Never mind nicknames.

"Namjoon." Jin clarified. "And I thought you three wanted to show her around?"

Tae bounced around, poking at Jungkook and Jimin. "Let's go, let's go!"

Jungkook turned to his hyungs, "Where first?" 

"Upstairs, then we can do this area last." What Hye-rin wasn't expecting was for the older boy to give her such a sweet smile. "Is that okay?"

"I..." Why was she getting so flustered? Why did everyone smell so good? "I don't have any objections."

Taehyung grabbed her wrist so fast, Hye-rin barely had time to wave at Somin and Jiwoo as she got corralled up the wide, winding floating stairs.

* * *

None of them could really hide their curiosity. Jungkook had gotten shy when she showed up, but Jimin didn't see that lasting long if the lingering glances he was giving Hye-rin meant anything.

The Beta would bet his mates found her interesting for the same reasons he did. On the surface, she was a nice smelling Omega who was starting to convince him she truly knew nothing about their world, in spite of her brother being some big producer. Her looks didn't hurt either. The small interactions she'd had with them so far proved her to be calm, just like they'd heard. 

Jimin knew it might have just been a side effect of being part of the industry, but they didn't get opportunities to know many people who weren't Big Hit staff or other idols (and even those relationships were always under scrutiny). So unanimously, they wanted to learn more about the girl. If nothing else unravelling the mystery made for another memorable part of the trip. 

"Hey, Hyerin-ssi?" Taehyung calling her had her almost face planting. Jimin reached for her, but she managed to right herself in time.

"Sorry, I got distracted." she mumbled. "This is way nicer than anywhere I've ever stayed." 

"It's alright," Tae gifted her with the kind of grin ARMY called 'boxy' and gushed over. "I just wanted to know if we could ask you questions about yourself while we show you around."

"Uh, go for it." She grinned back, showing them a thumbs up. 

"First room!" Jimin opened the door to the day room and let everyone else enter. 

"It's cozy," Hye-rin spun in a slow circle. And, he had to agree. The aqua blue and white reminded you of a beach resort style motif, as did the big potted plant with its fronds stretched widely. There was a large gray and blue area rug underneath the glass coffee table that sat in the center of the plush light blue furniture set. She craned her head back, noticing the high ceiling and chandelier. But in the day time, it wasn't even necessary to turn the lights on with all the natural brightness flooding the room from the bay windows and sliding doors to the terrace. 

In fact, it was that feature in particular that appeared to interest Hye-rin most. On careful footsteps, the trio watched her walk to the glass, stopping just short of leaning into it to look at the view. 

"I grew up in this city, but I can never get over the views, you know?"

The sunlight playing in her light brown hair and shining off her bronzed skin gave it an attractive glow. It was surprisingly Jungkook who approached first. "Do you want to go outside?"

Hye-rin's eyes widened as she faced them, almost like she forgot they were there. Taehyung all but skipped over without waiting for her answer. "Here, let's get some fresh air." Jimin shot him a look the girl didn't catch as Tae leaned over her shoulder to open the door. She clearly thought nothing of it, thanking him as she walked outdoors. But he wasn't sneaky enough, not when they had been together so long and knew each other so well.

Not being able to help himself, Jimin smacked the Alpha in the stomach. "Why'd you just scent her?"

"You act like you didn't do it downstairs!" he accused, rubbing the sore spot. 

"Can't you control yourself better than that, hyung?" Jungkook giggled.

Jimin shared a look with Taehyung. "You were the first one to come home pining about how good she smelled." 

They all shut up abruptly as Hye-rin poked her head back inside. "You guys coming, or am I enjoying the view by myself?" 

Taehyung shoved at Jungkook to join her, and Jimin stepped out right afterwards, to keep an eye on them. He didn't really feel possessive. Passing interest in a girl wasn't going to break apart the bond they shared as friends, packmates or lovers. Taehyung was allowed to think she smelled good. They all thought the same thing. But there was no need to have her think they were creeps that didn't know boundaries. Considering their status, Hye-rin was nothing but respectful of theirs so far. 

"Hyerin-ssi," he asked after a moment of silence. 

"Hm?"

"Since you grew up here, is that how you learned to surf?" She was almost always with a surfboard. Hell, he was half amused she didn't bring one over, even knowing that would make no sense. But, Jungkook had first encountered her with one. Yoongi got hit by it (accidentally, Jin assured them). Safe to say, she kept it close at hand. 

"A little here, but a lot of it was with my grandparents in Brazil."

Taehyung inched closer, eyes big. "Your family is from Brazil?"

"My appa's side." Closing her eyes, Hye-rin gripped the rail of the balcony and inhaled deeply. Jungkook mimicked her, making Jimin shake his head at the maknae's antics. Letting her bright eyes open, the Omega continued, "Appa came to Sokcho City with some friends when he was in university. They wanted to check out the beaches and the cuisine, but on the trip, he met my eomma and they hit it off right away. After he went back to Brazil they stayed in touch. Then they started dating. Later on he moved here and they married." 

"...Like fated mates."

Jimin couldn't help but give Jungkook a long look. He thought they didn't know he believed in fated mates. Knowing him, he was probably afraid they'd think of it as childish and tease him.

The funny thing was, Jimin felt the same way. In their own way, Jimin knew all of them felt like they just belonged together. Like the universe would have pulled them closer in one way or another. These days, the concept of fated mates was more or less regarded as a romantic legend, but nothing more. It was cute that Kookie believed in it, not sappy. 

"I never thought of it like that," The way Hye-rin tilted her head, looking enlightened, made it seem like she was giving it serious consideration. "But yeah, I guess you could say they were soulmates." She pressed her back against the rail and spread her arms on either side, perfectly relaxed. "So uh, what about all of you? Where are you from? I heard you're..." She paused, actually paused, and whispered, "celebrities in a band." Jimin laughed, and so did Taehyung.

Jungkook joined last, but the way his nose scrunched and his front teeth flashed in a bunny smile let the Beta know it was a real one. 

"Ah shit, did I remember wrong or something?" she fretted.

"No, it's just that no one besides us is around to hear you." Jungkook explained, still amused. 

Rubbing her chin, Hye-rin made finger guns sheepishly. "Point taken." 

"I'm from Daegu." Taehyung volunteered.

"Busan." Once upon a time, Jimin dreaded telling people his hometown. The taunts over his satoori were often cruel in school. Over everything, really. But the life he lived and the love he indulged in every day from his packmates and ARMY had given him wings that lifted him above the words of high school bullies. 

"Me too." Jungkook echoed. 

"I went to Daegu once, but I didn't get to stay as long as I wanted. It was a school trip." Hye-rin replied. "I've never been to Busan, but it's on my list of places I want to go in the country. I mean I heard the beaches are amazing." She directed the statement toward himself and Jungkook for confirmation.

And the more they chatted, the more Jungkook had started to loosen up around her, Jimin noticed. "You really love surfing, huh?" 

Hye-rin rubbed her neck but didn't deny it. "My family jokes sea salt is literally in my blood. My brother's too. It's just something that's always been there. It probably sounds stupid, but, it's home."

"It's not stupid. You have a hobby that you love, and I think you should cherish that." To Jimin, dancing was home. He understood perfectly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. Just some fluff stuff for now. No one's in too deep yet, but it gets there.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting acquainted with the maknae line, part 2

Hye-rin found herself really getting into the tour. The initial stiffness (mostly felt by her and Jungkook) was gone after a little more talk outside. Then they moved on to exploring the rest of the floor. The boys took turns narrating, giving her a brief peek inside some of the bedrooms. Each was nice, neat, and spacious. The last two occupied bedrooms were theirs, they told her. Jungkook had a room to himself, and he showed her the game console he brought with him. But, the others had made him promise to use it in moderation. Apparently gaming sessions could get pretty intense and he got sucked deep into the void. 

"Do you ever play video games?" the maknae asked. 

"Actually, I do," Hye-rin admitted. "I mean, not super competitively but it's fun to play against my brother and his friends. When I'm on my own I sorta just play mobile games. Or you know, Super Mario, a dance game, something like that." 

She didn't think it was anything special. At best she'd describe herself as a "casual" gamer only because she didn't have a large collection in her apartment or much competitiveness. But Jungkook's interest seemed piqued. "Kookie's focus when it comes to games is inhuman." Jimin sighed. 

That made the younger man grin. "Only because I always beat you, hyung."

"You always say it's just for fun, then go crazy on us." Jimin retorted. 

Tae nodded slowly. "You are kind of bad though, Jiminie."

Hye-rin had to laugh when Jimin's jaw dropped before he turned away, looking betrayed. 

"Moving on~" Tae was already dashing back out into the hall, to the room adjacent to Jungkook's on the other side of the hall. Jimin joined them shortly after, and Hye-rin popped her head through the door. 

"Whoa, this is like one of those luxury hotels abroad or something." Much like the interior of everything else she'd seen, the bedroom was modern. The thing she immediately noticed, however, was the room's curvature. There was a king-sized bed with enticingly fluffy pillows propped against a towering wooden headboard. The brown comforter was peeled back just enough on one side to notice the blue silk sheets.

Taehyung plopped down on the bed, laying on his back to stare at the high-vaulted ceiling. Jimin wordlessly followed, snuggling right up against him. The pink-haired young man got comfortable on his side, gently running two fingers up and down the tan column of Tae's neck. Hye-rin felt rude, staring at their casual intimacy, so she directed her attention to the beautiful wood floor with a large matte gray and blue carpet in a tasteful design half under the bed. Jungkook went and sat on a gray lounge in front of a coffee table with a crystal bowl of candy. 

As Hye-rin wandered around the room without touching anything, something cold brushed her ankle, startling a yelp out of her. The boys on the bed sat up, Jimin chuckling as Hye-rin saw the little black and tan bundle of fur sniffing her shoes. Crouching, the girl let the dog continue smelling her at its leisure.

When he blinked round, milky brown eyes at her, gumdrop nose twitching on the end of his tiny snout, Hye-rin was already half in love. "Hey, pup," she cooed, the dog's whole body wiggling with the force of his excitement.

Figuring he deemed her as safe as she deemed him, the Omega stretched out her hand to rub the top of his velvety soft head, right between his ears. Scooting close to lick at her arm, the Pomeranian grinned. "Whoa, Tannie's so smooth." Jungkook observed, Hye-rin carefully cupping his stomach and lifting her new friend into her arms. 

"Is that your name?" she asked, receiving an agreeable yip. "Are you Tannie?" 

"That's Yeontan." Jimin introduced, now laying on his stomach near the end of the bed. Tae was on his butt, arms loosely wrapped around his knees. "But he responds to Tannie and Tan." 

"Nice to meet you, Tan." As she drew him closer to her face, the scrap of fluff placed small paws against her collarbone, licking her nose several times. 

After a minute or two of accidentally ignoring the other occupants of the room to gush at their pet, Hye-rin sheepishly glimpsed up. All the boys were watching them with various expressions of amusement, so she gingerly sat the pup down on the bed and he scrambled over into Tae's arms.

"You're really good with him. Tannie's friendly with new people but he still warmed up to you quickly." Jimin's feet swung back and forth behind him, his eyes disappearing into crescents as his cheeks lifted. 

Hye-rin played with the edge of her shirt sleeve for lack of something better to do. "I like animals. Wanted to be a vet for a long time, actually."

"Ooh," Tae let Yeontan get comfortable in his lap, the dog curling up with his tail over his face. "Did you change your mind?"

Tilting her hand back and forth a little, Hye-rin nodded. "My last year of high school, I decided I'd go to college to study sports medicine. Maybe I'll get to become a physical therapist for athletes someday."

"That's a cool dream," Jungkook praised, popping chocolate into his mouth. 

"Yah, you better not sit there and eat the whole bowl." Jimin warned, glaring in scrutiny. Jungkook seemed to ignore it, popping several more pieces of the candy into his mouth until his cheeks bulged.

Hye-rin caught a glimpse of the wrappers as Jungkook put them on the table, noting that it was gourmet chocolate. Choonhee once had a boyfriend who'd wooed her with fancy presents, including that particular brand. She was smitten for a while, and then subsequently used that same chocolate to get over him when they broke up over how often he visited maid cafes. 

The maknae swallowed the sweets, licking his lips. "So, RM-hyung told us your brother's a famous producer? Have you met lots of celebrities through his work?"

Hye-rin withheld her cringe, still not sure how to broach this. "Uh, actually I've never met anyone famous before. Well, I'm not sure if you can count it, but in elementary school one of the original actors for the super sentai series visited our class."

"You've met us now," Jimin cried. "You can count us!"

"Oh," Hye-rin blushed, "I'm sorry, you're right." Taking her phone out. "I can't lie and say I know much about your group..." Googling BTS quickly got her so many results it was mind-boggling. She took her time scrolling, baffled by some of the titles on the videos that appeared to have been made by fans.

The girl became so lost in her search, the body that came to look over her shoulder nearly made her drop the phone. But Taehyung was swifter, catching it and holding it level so they both could see. He hit one of the videos Hye-rin had been debating about playing, and then handed it back to her. It wasn't a music video, as she'd half been expecting, just a tranquil lakeside image and the crooning of a familiar voice. 

"Of course you'd have her listen to that one first," Jimin scoffed, but when Hye-rin glanced up, there was nothing but softness directed at Tae in his eyes. The vocalist hummed proudly, rejoining the pink-haired boy on their bed. Hye-rin lost herself in the song, absorbing the lyrics, and surprised by the second singer joining in. 

"Is that...Namjoon-ssi?" she said, already awed. 

"He's so talented, right?" Jungkook boasted, apparently done with the chocolates. 

Hye-rin quietly agreed, smiling down at her phone as the song eventually ended. "That was beautiful. Really I...feel soft. In a good way." 

Puffing his chest out and looking pleased, Tae shot her a smile. "It's called 4O'CLOCK." 

Wiping his hands lightly on his jeans, Jungkook hopped up. "Can I choose one next?" Hye-rin once again gave up her phone, and the dark-haired boy took some time, humming and mumbling over the selection under his breath.

Although Taehyung and Jimin poked fun at him over how long he was taking, Hye-rin waited patiently. When the next song was finally picked, she got the phone back again, before Jungkook crawled onto the bed to join his hyungs. "You can join us if you want," Jimin called. "It's not like there's no room."

Not wanting to be impolite, she sat herself gently on one edge of the bed with her feet still dangling over the side. Yeontan took the opportunity to nudge and lick at her arm. Hye-rin gave him pets as she listened to the song coming from the phone speakers, this one accompanied by a music video.

Judging by the hairstyles alone, she got the feeling it wasn't as recent. Not to mention that they all looked several years younger.

As she came to find out, the song was I NEED U, and it was as appealing to her as the first one. Showing interest got the boys excited again, and it was Jimin's turn to commandeer her phone and find another of their songs for her to try. He picked one called "Spring Day", which also had a music video Hye-rin eagerly sat and watched. Afterwards, she had questions, not wanting to miss a chance to hear the artists thoughts on their own music. 

Appreciating the attention, each of the trio explained what the songs had meant to them in their own words, and Hye-rin listened to a few more. Tan, restless after her hand had stopped petting, hopped off the end of the bed to find fun elsewhere. "You know, I think I've got a lot of new music to download." Hye-rin beamed, "I know it sounds crazy, and don't take it the wrong way, but I've never spent much time listening to K-Pop. But, this is good stuff."

She intended to try one more song before they continued the interrupted tour, but her finger slipped and she ended up clicking one of the fan videos from before. "Eh? This one says 'Why Namjoon Can't Go Live'..."

She showed them the screen, and Jimin covered his face suddenly while Jungkook's teeth poked out as he grinned. Tilting her head, she watched the video of Namjoon trying to chat, more than likely to fans on live video, only to have other members of the group pop into the room at every attempt. Hye-rin truly felt bad, despite having no part of it, but the expressions Namjoon made when his back was turned to them and the comedic timing also had her laughing plenty.

"He's got a lot of patience," Hye-rin commented. "Reminds me of my brother when I'd burst in on him to play with me growing up."

"You _do_ need a lot of love and attention, hyung," Jungkook ribbed Jimin, repeating the words Namjoon had told his audience. "Like a plant." 

"Shut up, both of you do it too!" Jimin wailed. 

"You and Tae are the worst, though." 

But when an older man poked his head into Namjoon's room, the three boys died laughing. Hye-rin chuckled slowly, but didn't really get the clear inside joke. It wasn't until Tae wiped tears from his eyes that he was able to speak coherently. "That...was Bang PD-nim. He's the CEO of the label BTS is under." 

"Basically the last person hyung probably expected to interrupt him," Jimin added. Knowing that tidbit of information _did_ make the whole thing funnier, she had to admit. After the rest of the compilation, Hye-rin put away her phone, intending to ask if they'd like to finish giving her a tour of the upstairs. Except, embarrassingly enough, her stomach chose _just that moment_ to let out an obnoxious rumble she was sure they all heard. 

Normally, a rumbling stomach was something she would shake off, but these were guys she barely knew. Celebrities. Somehow it made her feel off for them to hear her stomach like that, and Hye-rin squirmed. "M-My bad...I should have taken up Matthew's offer for a big breakfast, but I just ate a little bit, so I guess–"

"It's okay," Jungkook patted his stomach, getting up. "I'm hungry too." 

"Jungkook is actually always hungry." Tae winked. "He sneaks down to the kitchen with Jin-hyung at night and snacks."

Jungkook shrugged, not denying it.

"You know, speaking of hyung, wasn't he making something earlier?" Jimin questioned the other two.

"I think I saw him preparing pork belly earlier." Jungkook mused, already halfway to the door. Hye-rin had to admit it was tempting, but, it'd be weird to go invite herself to have lunch with them.

"I bet there's a lot left, left's go!" Tae cheered.

The three walked briskly out of the hall, though Jimin stopped when he noticed her trailing behind, following at a slower pace. "If you don't like pork belly, we can ask hyung to prepare something else. He's a great cook."

"No, I'm fine with pork, I just..." Hye-rin didn't want them to get the impression she found them to be bad hosts. "Guess my legs fell asleep from sitting down so long." 

Jimin smiled, waiting on her to catch up to him, and walking at a slower pace with her when she did. He was really considerate, and some of her nervousness melted away. Despite having watched the videos, seeing wasn't quite believing. They came across as such down to earth guys so far, not to mention the amazing talent she'd seen in the videos. It was no wonder they were so popular.

* * *

Their hyung had indeed left extra out for them, much to Jimin's delight. They ushered Hye-rin, their guest, to make her plate first, something she was almost reluctant to do. Picking up on that, Tae offered to pile her plate high for her, but she assured them she didn't need much. It didn't stop the boys, who took turns putting together pork belly wraps and comparing them amongst each other.

Although they had done their best to tone down the usual amount of PDA, seeing as how Hye-rin (nice as she was) still wasn't a close friend or one of the pack, none of them could resist feeding each other. Jungkook had fun holding food up to Tae's mouth and then pulling it away just before he could take a bite. When their devilish maknae bit into the wrap instead, a disgruntled Taehyung snatched the rest from his mouth and stuffed it into his own.

Jimin wondered how they must look to Hye-rin, who watched from the side in relative silence, glancing between them and the food. But a short laugh broke them from their enjoyment and gave them a good answer. "You guys make just having lunch look so fun. Choonhee would kill me if I teased her like that."

Jungkook licked some sauce from his thumb before Tae had a chance to do it. Smart choice. Guest or not, there was a good chance their mate would get carried away in the name of revenge and make it hard to keep their relationship ambiguous. "Choonhee?"

"She's my best friend. Has been since we met on the beach when we were really young. She's off on a vacation with her family." 

"They fight about food too!" Jimin could feel his ears going pink at Jungkook volunteering that. The group hadn't had to squabble about food in a long time. They always had a full fridge, and someone was always being hand fed. 

"That was a long time ago," Taehyung easily dismissed. "You should put something on your plate, Hyerin-ssi." Without pausing, he took one of the rolls from his own plate that remained untouched and sat it on the empty one she was holding. 

"Yeah, that's not enough, noona." Jungkook, following Tae's example, set a wrap from his plate onto hers as well. 

"N-Noona?" Hye-rin sputtered. "But..."

"He's just use to everyone being older than him." Jimin explained. "He's not calling you old."

Jungkook's eyes widened, thinking he had unintentionally offended her. "Sorry if you don't want me calling you that..."

Hye-rin shrugged. "It's fine I guess. But seriously, I don't need that much."

Getting in on the act, Jimin placed two wraps on her plate after making them while she was talking. His boyfriends cheered, and Hye-rin gaped.

"Now you're doing it on purpose!" she accused. 

The dancer exchanged looks with the two Alphas, whose eyes were full of laughter at her flustered face. 

"You'll be okay, just dig in." Tae encouraged, ushering her to sit at the island countertop. While Jimin set his plate down to look for drinks in the fridge, he heard peals of laughter from over his shoulder.

Wondering which of the two had embarrassed himself, Jimin turned around fully, not expecting to see Hye-rin struggling to find enough purchase to pull herself into her seat. Slowly, his own cheeks pulled upward as he tried futilely to hide his laughter. It hadn't really registered that he had a handful of inches on her, putting her in the lower height range for a young woman. 

"I hate chairs like this," Hye-rin whined, one leg dangling down as her knee pressed into the cushioning. Still snickering, Jungkook got up from his seat and offered her a hand. Blinking, she took it with a pout and he was able to pull her properly into the tall chair.

Shaking his head, Jimin returned to retrieving drinks from the fridge. He resurfaced with bottles of water and some coke. He, Jungkook and Hye-rin wanted the water, while Taehyung took a bottle of soda.

Finding his own spot on the other side of Jungkook, near the end of the counter, Jimin swung himself up with practiced ease. The betrayed expression he caught from Hye-rin had him grinning. It was the kind of cute reaction that made him want to pat her head. 

"So," Tae devoured one of his wraps in barely two bites, turning to ask Hye-rin more questions. "Liking your tour so far?"

She took a smaller bite of her wrap, but Jimin felt like it was a controlled one. She was definitely holding back, but he didn't want to call her out, so he kept quiet. 

"It's been awesome! Getting to know you guys and everything." she exclaimed. "I still don't get why you wanted to meet me, but uh, I appreciate the warm welcome."

"Curiosity mostly," Taehyung offered. And, that was true. Every time one or more of them had run into Hye-rin, it seemed entirely circumstantial. It made them wonder what a _planned_ meeting would be like. Her brother being and working with celebrities, inviting her into their private (temporary) den so soon didn't feel uncomfortable to them. It also helped that she was staying with Jiwoo, Somin, J.Seph and Matthew.

If there was something off about her, the other pack would have never helped her. Why she was on her own when she said she was from Sokcho had him curious, but it would be impolite to bring it up. He'd ask Joonie-hyung later. The young Beta had a feeling their pack Alpha knew more about her situation than he'd shared. What kind of business favor was he helping her with, anyway? 

Hye-rin munched on her second wrap. "These are really good. Compliments to the chef."

"Jinnie-hyung's definitely the cook around here." Jimin found himself saying. "We'd starve without him."

"Or live on store bought meals." Tae giggled.

"I help out sometimes." Jungkook muttered.

Jimin narrowed his eyes. "When cameras aren't rolling?" 

That prompted Jungkook to smash a wrap into his mouth, Jimin shoving at him in retaliation. He picked up a piece of pork belly that had come from the wrap, ready to return the favor, but the Alpha only opened his mouth and accepted the food like a baby bird, enveloping the ends of his fingers along with it.

Jimin felt his breath hitch as the maknae sucked his fingers, refusing to let go. A pleasurable tingle went down his spine (and to other places) at the tongue that brushed the pads of his digits. "Kookie," A little worried, he turned to Hye-rin, but she was completely unfazed.

"You're a cute couple." she complimented, sipping some water. Lowering the bottle, she furrowed her brows. "You...are a couple, right?"

"All of us are." Tae pressed his cheek into one hand and kept eating like it was the most natural thing.

Hye-rin gulped, chewing her food with a nod. "Oh, late congratulations?" she scratched her head. "Or is that weird?"

Jimin wanted to tell her it wasn't, but Jungkook took the moment of distraction to steal one of his wraps. He had to wonder if Hye-rin would think less of them if they turned out to be liars and _did_ fight over food in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided that another fluffy chapter was in order before moving on to other stuff. Questions or comments are welcome, because I want to know if people are still liking it. Just go easy please!
> 
> *The super sentai series briefly mentioned is a Japanese franchise that's about superheroes. The Western equivalent is the Power Rangers, which is based directly off this genre.*


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin's new acquaintances decide to keep in touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you lots to everyone who likes this enough to bookmark, leave kudos and especially comment! I know everyone is anxious to get to the bottom of Hye-rin's predicament. Hopefully the next few chapters starts shedding light there. I've left some foreshadowing already. ;)

There wasn't anything unexpected about the source of the commotion in the kitchen. Before even entering, Jin half knew what he'd find. Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung fooling around after helping themselves to the food he'd left out. He shuffled in with a loud sigh, "I was nice enough to make enough for you, you three better not have–" The young woman putting things away in the fridge looked up, nearly hitting her head on the door. 

"Oh, Seokjin-ssi," she greeted. At the sink, two of the usual troublemakers were furiously scrubbing dishes. Although it was quiet, he could hear them bickering about who should do the next one. Jungkook was standing by, ready to rinse off whatever they passed him with the sink's hose and nozzle.

They barely acknowledged him entering, except for the youngest's small "hey, hyung." 

"Just Jin is fine," he said absently. When the maknaes begged to meet Moon Hye-rin, to have her over, admittedly he was somewhat unsure at first. She was pleasant that night at the restaurant. But they didn't know her, and he didn't want his pack getting hurt in anyway. One photo out of context could ruin everything they worked for. He and the other three of the hyung line had a long talk about it, weighing pros and cons. 

Yoongi (reluctantly) agreeing surprised them all, but if the most mistrustful of strangers among them said yes, what objections could he raise? While the youngest members of the pack showed her around upstairs, he chatted with Jiwoo and Somin, who told him a little about Hye-rin. Nothing but positives left their lips. So far, she seemed to be fitting in well with the small group of four.

She took Matthew's boisterous personality in stride, and watched dramas or talked about skin care with Somin. She joked around with J.Seph and Jiwoo. It sounded like the perfect honeymoon phase for a new member of the pack. Jiwoo admitted they hadn't asked her to stay with them longer, though, not really sure if it was appropriate or if she'd want to. 

"Ok, then just Hye-rin for me. That goes for all of you." Hye-rin said, eyes bright. "And thanks, Jin. That was some of the juiciest pork belly I've had in forever." 

His members always scarfed down what he made, and reassured him of his cooking skills, but her earnest appreciation was nice. "That's sweet of you," She shut the fridge door with her hip. "And you put away the leftovers too? Maybe you can teach these dongsaengs of mine something."

"What?!" Jungkook shouted. "We're standing right in front of you washing dishes."

The Beta sniffed, "To impress Hyerin-ah. You never do it any other time unless you want something." 

They protested as expected, but all it took was the Omega tossing them a comment about how she was already impressed by their tour to get them settled down. Jin half-wondered if the girl was some kind of Maknae Tamer. The three worked as an assembly line, Jimin washing, Jungkook rinsing and Taehyung drying. 

"Here, just tell me where they go and I'm on it." Hye-rin offered, holding out both hands.

"You don't have to do that," Jin moved to intercept, taking some plates from Tae. "You're our visitor."

"Nah, I'd feel better if I pitched in."

"We keep them up there, noona." Jungkook pointed innocently to a cabinet above her head. Jin gave him a strange look. That definitely was not where they were kept. And he'd know, because he organized the kitchen the same way he had it back home as soon as they arrived. But Taehyung winked, so he didn't call the maknae out just yet.

Hye-rin followed where he'd pointed and gaped. "Ah, not this again..." She stepped closer to the cabinet, stretched her fingers and stood on her toes. Her hand just barely brushed the bottom, but in Jin's estimation she was maybe several inches too short.

After three experimental hops, Jimin and Jungkook were in stitches while Taehyung shot her a lop-sided smile. The Omega stopped, spinning around with flushed cheeks and her lips pursed accusingly. "This isn't where the plates go, is it?" The entire maknae line broke into loud giggles.

Jin chuffed, half-surprised that they were all so at ease together. His youngest packmates were all kind young men, of course. All of them charmed the world in their own unique ways. They all loved and relaxed around one another in a way none of them could on camera. Hye-rin may not have recognized it, but she was being treated more like a friend than a fan.

Jin put the plates he had away in their rightful place, then took the rest. "Finish giving Hye-rin the tour. She doesn't have all day."

"Oh yeah," The words seemed to stir Jungkook's memory. "You want to see this floor now?" 

Hye-rin cocked her head in consideration, slowly looking in Jin's direction. "You're sure there's nothing else in here?"

The Beta shook his head, a bit disbelieving even now. "The food's put away and the dishes are washed." 

"Let's go," Jimin cheered, the other two sweeping around her and urging her to follow along. 

The Beta smiled fondly as their noise made it down the hall. ' _Those kids...Good thing Yoongi isn't home._ ' It didn't take much to imagine how grumpy the rapper would be as the trio paraded Hye-rin down the hall. Although, it was honestly kind of nice, seeing them able to find a new friend. Moon Hye-rin. Well, Namjoon mentioned that her brother was also the music producer the group wanted to collaborate with. It was possible the pack would cross paths with her again. Especially if the three youngest got their way...

* * *

Somin and Jiwoo had decided to cook on the pack's last night in Sokcho. They bought the necessary ingredients, then shooed the boys out of the prep area. Matthew's usual goofiness was deemed too much of a distraction so he was temporarily banished. Taehyung had been told to go find something else to do for the same reason. Apparently the girls were serious about getting the recipe right the first time, and Somin didn't appreciate how the boys had been eating the raw ingredients, encouraging Jiwoo to join them.

Hye-rin was the only one invited to help, but politely declined in favor of watching a movie with Taehyung. Movies were a good kind of distraction, and the slapstick buddy comedy that was on meant she didn't have to think too hard. Cooking required focus, and with everything on her mind, part of her was afraid of accidentally chopping off a finger or throwing cinnamon in when the recipe called for ginger.

Feet up on the sofa and knees pulled to her chest, Hye-rin stared blankly at the screen, trying to concentrate. Taehyung was really into it, laughing at the physical comedy and punchlines from the deadpan detective. But sadly for her, Hye-rin was trapped in the spiral her thoughts had become. The last time she saw a movie, it brought about a strange, disturbing theory. Crazy as it would be any other time, she really had no better explanation to lean on for why her life had turned upside down. 

Either she was in a coma and having a scarily vivid dream, or just like the plot of the movie, had been transported to another world mysteriously. A commercial for toothpaste came on, Hye-rin only taking notice because it got Taehyung to turn down the TV and wander toward the kitchen to harass the girls. Hye-rin stayed in place, wishing that her worst problem was just how to get rid of plaque build up and bad breath. Her phone vibrated dully, and not having much else to do, she pulled it out and held it to her face. 

She kind of wanted it to be Namjoon, saying he had gotten her brother's number. The outcome of that request was another worry making her restless. So much so, she almost wanted to tell the idol never mind. But her father had taught her to face dilemmas before deciding they were unsolvable. The worst case scenario was the Moon Yeongsu who Bangtan was acquainted with wouldn't know her. Then there was the positive outcome...he'd be the first person to recognize her in over a week. 

Hye-rin swiped, finding she had gotten several new notifications in rapid succession. And they were still coming in... Namjoon didn't strike her as the kind of guy to spam text though, and that wasn't the same number as before either. 

"Huh?" Squinting, she clicked the notification and discovered she was in a new group chat. The fourth person to be added to one that was already ongoing. Scrolling past what had to be hundreds of old messages, the vexed girl came upon the more recent ones that started from an hour ago. 

**Jiminie:** _Did we text the right number? 🤔 If this isn't her the hyungs are going to kill us.😖_

 **TaeTae:** _I think so! But Kookie's the one that did it. 😳_

 **Kook:** _I'm not that careless.😠 I'm sure this is noona's number!!_

 **TaeTae:** _Hiiii~☺️🤗 Hyerinie, are you there?_

Wetting her lips, Hye-rin's brain sluggishly processed the fact that the three young idols she had spent the day getting to know were texting her. Again, a wave of confusion washed over her. She thought they'd hit it off, but figured the interest was passing curiosity spurned on by the fact that they'd been coincidentally running into each other so much as of late. Yet here they were, reaching out. Wiggling her thumbs over the keyboard, she started to type.

 **Jiminie** : _Ooh, I think she's typing!_

 **Hyerinie:** _Yeah, I'm here. Didn't expect to hear from you guys so soon, gotta admit. Or, you know, at all._

 **Kook** : _Wah! How come?_

 **Hyerinie:** _Idk, you're pretty famous and I'm kinda just existing._

 **TaeTae** _: We wanted to be friends. We don't get to befriend a lot of people that aren't in the industry these days. 😄_

 **Jiminie** _: Is that okay? Let us know if we're bothering you._

 **Hyerinie:** _It's fine. Meeting and hanging out with you today was cool. If you really wanna keep talking I don't mind. 😅_

 **Kook** _: Thanks, noona!_

 **Jiminie** _: So what've you been up to since you left our place?_

 **Hyerinie** _: Just watching a movie with Tae, uh, J.Seph. Well we were...He's about to get run out of the kitchen. 😬_

Right on time, Taehyung fled the kitchen with a laugh, Jiwoo's rapid-fire scolding following him out. "Yah! I said you could have a small taste! You tried to suck down all the broth in the pot!" He threw himself back onto his end of the couch, a piece of fruit from the fridge in hand. Meeting eyes, Hye-rin couldn't help but give him a knowing look, to which he shrugged innocently, dark eyes gleeful.

The movie came back on, Hye-rin glimpsing down at her phone to see she had some new replies. Before she could read them all, the sound of a door creaking down the hall made her turn in that direction instinctively. Only to be greeted by the ~~un~~ godly sight of Matthew doing his best to keep a tiny towel around his waist, skin damp and the intoxicating scent he always had stronger than when he'd entered the bathroom. 

Nose to the air, he hummed his approval at whatever Somin and Jiwoo were making. "That smells good," No one else really seemed to mind his presence or the indecent state making her body feel like she'd ingested molten lava.

Somin tsked, sparing a quick glance over her shoulder. "Oppa, don't track water down the hall. Someone could trip." 

Staring down at his feet, the large male blinked. "My bad," Hye-rin ducked her head and adamantly focused on the screen as he rounded the back of the couch, heading to the boys' shared room. Maybe it was cowardly. Choonhee probably would have thrown a flirty comment his way. But, she was no Choonhee. Hye-rin didn't dare look up until she heard the door click shut, expelling a big breath. Face probably resembling a strawberry, she peeked in Taehyung's direction out of her peripherals. It'd be bad if he saw.

What the girl hadn't expected was for him to be peeking her way just as shyly, his face and ears pink as he rubbed at the back of his neck and bit his lip hard. "Oh," His eyes widened at her breathy realization.

Hye-rin felt her heart slowing as her chest warmed in sympathy. Taehyung didn't know her well, so he might have been wondering how she'd react. "No worries," she told him quietly. "You've got it way worse than me. I'm pretty sure you've been dealing with that a lot longer." 

She figured she must have been right about Taehyung being concerned by her reaction, because she could almost taste his relief. They returned to watching the movie, both of them now more comfortable knowing they had being tormented by Matthew in common. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was really short but it's okay because next chapter is the one where the plot thickens! By that I mean, Hye-rin will have to make some choices, and we might see the reunion between her and Yeongsu. Anyone have predictions on how that could go or how you'd want it to go? Or predictions to how she'll continue to get closer to the packs and learn more about her presentation for that matter?


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin has some big decisions to make, and some hard truths to learn about the nature of this strange world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent the last couple of days writing this here and there. I hope everyone likes it. <3

Hye-rin really tried not to be too much of a burden on her new friends. She did her best to act casual when Matthew joined them on the couch to finish watching the movie. When it was time to set the table though, she was the first one up and volunteering. Somin finally revealed what they had been making.

Spicy chicken on a bed of rice and steamed vegetables with seaweed soup and cucumber salad. Honestly it looked and smelled amazing, to the point where Hye-rin had to do her best to keep from openly salivating. The fact that they had managed to whip it all up in a relatively short amount of time reminded her of what Jin said, about them having a café in Seoul. Jiwoo elbowed Taehyung out of the way as he tried to reach for the meat, but eventually acquiesced, letting him set the dish down on the island countertop. 

"This looks so damn good," Matthew groaned. Contrary to her and Taehyung, to Matthew it was almost like the incident never happened. 

"It's special," Somin commented. "Come sit, Hyerin-ah." Gratefully accepting the seat between Somin and Taehyung, the hungry girl took the paper plate and waited her turn.

Jiwoo took notice, pausing as she filled her plate and swatting the boys' hands away. "Dig in!" The blonde exclaimed, pointing with her chopsticks. "There won't be enough left for you if you let them get to it first."

"You know she's right." Suddenly the plate was tugged right out of her hands, Hye-rin watching with wide eyes as Matthew started to load it up. "You gotta learn to fight for your share around us." 

Somin gave him the stink eye. "Or you could learn to slow down and leave some for others." 

BM ignored his friend, winking at Hye-rin as he waved for the chicken. "Tae, pass me that, would you? I think her plate needs more protein."

The amount of food he seemed to think she could consume on her own was considerable, and frankly starting to concern her. "No, that's good, thanks!" Quickly taking the plate back, she sat it down in front of her with a sigh. 

_'Who actually eats like this?'_ Jiwoo and Somin had normal amounts on their plates, nothing eye-raising. But the boys? Taehyung was already tearing into his food aggressively, Matthew not far behind him. _'Okay well...there's no way I can keep up.'_

Opting to get through the night without a horrible stomachache, Hye-rin picked up her chopsticks and took a slow bite. The chicken was just spicy enough to create a pleasurable, lasting tingle on the back of her tongue without being overwhelming. The peace of the atmosphere, accompanied by the sounds of chewing from all sides urged her to try and sate her curiosity. 

"You mentioned this was a special meal, Somin." Hye-rin speared a bite of cucumber salad, "How come?"

The four around her exchanged strange looks, furthering her growing desire to know.

"We're going home tomorrow." Jiwoo confessed. 

To have known them for such a short amount of time, the knowledge that they were leaving _shouldn't_ have made her that emotional. Hye-rin didn't really understand the breathless sensation, as if a professional boxer's fist had hit her dead center. 

"Oh," she whispered, "B-Back to Seoul, right?" If their café was there, it was reasonable assume they also lived there, right?

"Yeah. We've all gotta get back to work soon." Matthew's food consumption had slowed, his eyes shifting to hers almost as if he was trying to gauge something. 

"Oh, that's understandable." Hye-rin's appetite had decreased, but she wouldn't be rude and waste all of Somin and Jiwoo's efforts. "Summer doesn't go on forever." Not wanting to bring down the mood, she put on a grin, looking from face to face. "I know Jiwoo models and you guys have a café, but what else does everybody do?"

"Uh, I'm a professional DJ," Taehyung volunteered, turning bashful when he got her full attention.

"Seriously? What kinda beats do you like doing the most?" It was genuinely interesting, really. One of her cousins in Brazil was a DJ, and at family gatherings, everyone always counted on him to spice up the events. 

"Dance hall." Taehyung seemed to be brightening up at her interest, his chest puffing out a little.

"I had a roommate last year who was a big dance hall junkie. She tried to drag me out to a couple of clubs with her," It felt good to reminisce, even if the past wasn't all that distant. And it took her mind from the somber direction the conversation had been starting to head, "but I feel like if it's not Latin music I've got two left feet for some reason." 

"I bet Matthew-oppa could fix that. He's big and acts goofy but he loves dancing." Jiwoo chirped. 

"He's _so_ good!" Somin added, "If he ever stopped being a music producer, I think he'd open his own studio." 

"You've been holding out on me?" Hye-rin laughed over his deer-caught-in-headlights expression.

"Yeah, you know, sometimes on weekends..." Matthew shrugged, taking a long swig of beer. "They forgot to mention they all dance with me. It's a fun pack bonding thing." 

Hye-rin mouthed the last words, her brain recalling previous conversations that hadn't made much sense to her (and still really didn't). "Uh, so..." the girl sipped down some of the soup. "You never really explained about what a 'pack' means, or any of the other stuff..."

Matthew rubbed at his head. "I guess it was 'cause we sort of thought it was just a joke."

"No," the confused girl frowned, "I _really_ want to know." she finished emphatically. 

"Oh, a pack is what a close group with a special bond like ours is called." Somin broke first, pointing to each of them. "Me, Jiwoo, J.Seph and Matthew. We're pack." 

"Packs are friends?" Hye-rin nibbled at her food, but most of her attention was taken by the conversation.

"Sometimes..." Jiwoo played with some hair that hung over her shoulder, drinking soup from her spoon with the other hand. "Usually being in a pack means you're closer than friends...like..."

"Family," Hye-rin said, triumphantly. "Like a found family?"

"Yeah, it can be a group that chooses to become family." Taehyung agreed. 

"Or, you know, more..." Hye-rin tilted her head at Matthew's eyebrow wiggle. The first image that came to mind was Somin and Jiwoo, speaking quietly in the bed beside hers so as not to disturb her, the light smack of lips in the dark and the sleepily whispered goodnights. They were sweet, trying to be considerate, but Hye-rin wasn't bothered.

A couple shouldn't have to hide their feelings for each other just because someone new came around. Then, there was the revelation that Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook were an item. It wasn't that Hye-rin was judging them either. Polyamory wasn't a topic she knew much about, but she supported consensual, loving relationships between adults, however they occurred.

"Got it." The Omega digested the information steadily. "Packs can be people who are closer than friends. What's it like?" Everyone jumped in to explain how packs functioned. The safety, the companionship, and the things packs did to remain close. There was so much, and possibly sensing she was getting overwhelmed, Somin urged them all to slow down and take it a little at a time.

Hye-rin learned a lot in a short time. Packs could be different sizes, sometimes smaller, like the one she had been staying with. Sometimes a decent size of five to eight, and sometimes large with dozens of members. They explained large packs weren't as common anymore. At least not in South Korea.

Wanting to show she was open to learning, Hye-rin sat quietly as they gave her the crash course on pack scenting, ending with a demonstration of Matthew doing it to everyone. J.Seph shivered as the pack leader's nose rubbed behind his ear, squirming and beginning to shovel in food so fast, she was concerned he would choke. 

They didn't really have hard and fast roles in their pack, she was told. All of them took turns leading depending on what aspect of their lives it was, but technically, Matthew was their pack Alpha.

In fact Somin, Matthew and J.Seph were all Alphas, but none of them felt that meant they could walk over Jiwoo, who was a Beta. "And I'm an Omega, I guess?" All of them nodded. "Which means...?"

They took longer to try and explain that bit to her, saying that once, societies tended to believe that Omegas were the weakest of all second gender presentations. There was unfair discrimination and oppressive laws. It had progressed quite a bit thanks to activism and diligence, but there were still those that thought Omegas existed to be taken advantage of, which was why she needed to be careful. 

After that, dinner continued, noticeably lighter. Hye-rin got full halfway through her plate, no matter how much the boys tried to egg her on into eating more. Not wanting to push her luck, she relinquished what was left of her meal to J.Seph. He gladly polished his food off along with hers, sort of impressing her with how he was so fit with such an appetite.

"There's another thing we've been discussing," Hye-rin looked up from helping Somin clear the table. Even without make-up and her hair a little messy, the older girl was so effortlessly beautiful. Lucky Jiwoo. Lucky Somin too, actually. "We...we were concerned about what you shared with us at the clinic."

The Omega sucked in a sharp breath. "I really did spill my guts back there, huh? Sorry. I probably sounded really pathetic..."

"No!" Somin said sharply. "You're by yourself until your brother comes home. As a pack, we want to help. Back in Seoul, our café has a studio space above it."

"Last summer we spent so much time preparing that space," Taehyung huffed, walking by. "But no one lives there."

"Why would we? It's too small for the whole pack." Jiwoo countered, hip-checking him on her way to the bathroom. 

"What they're trying to say," Matthew clapped, "is if you want it, it's yours."

"I..." She was already so thankful for how they had treated her the last few days. They let her stay with them, gave her food, and offered some comfort in the crazy, mixed up world she was calling home now. To think they could offer more was about to make her tear up again, and that was the last thing she wanted. "I don't think I can do that."

"You need a place to stay though. We don't use it," The pack Alpha got closer, his eyes comically huge. For a big, macho guy, he could be so...cute. 

"Yeah, that's true," Hye-rin tossed out the trash she'd been holding. "But I can't just take it. I'd feel better if I could at least pay you, but first I'd have to find a job with decent hours." 

"Oh," Somin bounced on the balls of her feet, tossing the dirty plates she'd collected. "A spot just opened up. We were going to advertise it when we got home."

Head spinning, Hye-rin leaned against the fridge. "You're offering me a job?"

"Yes." Jiwoo popped up, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist and resting her chin on Somin's shoulder. "Do you want a job at our café?"

* * *

Being able to head out in public without cameras rolling or an entire entourage was rare these days. Fame came with a price, something each of them had known. But the full gravity of that hadn't dawned on them until they were already household names, losing more and more of their autonomy with every comeback.

Yoongi relished privacy, but he was also living his dream. He couldn't imagine a stuffy office job as an accountant, even if it did come with a quieter lifestyle. He was here, surrounded by the six members of his pack he knew he would never be able to go on without. This trip to Sokcho City was a much needed reset. Despite the small hiccups here and there, everyone was enjoying themselves, and he included himself in that collective. 

Just like at home, they had breakfast together, except there was no rush. Jin and Namjoon had gone early and picked up food from a local place. Talk of the day's plans were had over bites of seafood omelets being shared, thigh stroking and Jin's Greatest Hits: Dad Joke Edition.

Hoseok was in stitches, hardly able to keep food from falling out of his mouth, his face growing red from lack of air.

Taehyung shrugged it off when Namjoon attempted to pick up a small container of the restaurant's specialty sauce to examine and accidentally spilled it all over the younger's food instead. "Actually, this isn't bad, hyung." He broke off a piece of fluffy, cheesy egg and fed it to the leader after having a bite himself.

Jungkook thought he was being discreet, slipping Tannie tiny bits of the meal under the table. He knew they tried to limit the little dog's consumption of human food as much as possible so he didn't develop the habit of begging. When he resurfaced after the third time and met Yoongi's knowing gaze, the maknae broke out into a sheepish smile, ducking his head to stuff his cheeks full.

Yoongi ate in relative silence, just happy to absorb the atmosphere of being wrapped up in the pack's early morning shenanigans. Fingers ghosting across his scalp had him dividing his attention between the food in front of him and Jimin, who had started to absently toy with his hair. Unlike their youngest, when the white-haired Alpha met eyes with the younger boy, there was nothing embarrassed about his gaze. He smiled in that way that always made his round cheeks stretch up to his eyes. "Wanna go to the park near here with me and Hobi-hyung today? I didn't hear you say you had anything else planned."

The rapper took a long sip of his coffee. Well, Jimin had him there. His schedule was completely open for the day. Shrugging, he played it off casually. "You and Hobi would drag me there anyway, so why even ask?" 

"Well, what's the point in using this time indoors?" Hoseok retorted, his cheeks still a little pink. "You do that at home." 

Breakfast ended, the table was cleaned, and then everyone started on their own agendas. Namjoon was accompanying Tae to an art exhibit, and Jungkook was going to hang out with Jiwoo before her flight. Jin wanted to go back to the marina, solo this time (although obviously he would be covered up and taking at least one bodyguard).

Yoongi acted resigned as he dragged himself to get ready, but he wasn't sure his mates would be fooled after so long. Inside he was thrilled, maybe even feeling slightly greedy to get Hoseok and Jimin to himself for the day. Kisses were exchanged, and Jin made sure everyone had their fully-charged phone on them. No one wanted to deal with the tongue-lashing that came with a worried Seokjin that couldn't reach them.

Before the trio could step out, Yeontan trotted up behind them, dragging his leash. "Aw, Tan wants to come?" Jimin cooed, crouching to accept the pooch's lead. The Pomeranian answered with a couple of excited barks, spinning in a circle once before the pink-haired Beta lifted him up. 

Taking their last minute addition under the arm, the now party of four set out. Jimin told them the park was really only a couple of blocks down, maybe ten minutes on foot. He passed Hoseok his phone so they could see pictures. "They have a picnicking area, a basketball court, and a nature trail." Hobi read. 

"I just hope it's not crowded today." Yoongi muttered, adjusting his mask. Depending on that very important factor, they might be able to shed some of their disguises. Masks were fine, and Jimin and Hoseok looked stylish as ever in their shades.

But he was starting to wish he'd worn a lighter sports jacket, because the summer heat was still in effect, and he didn't know how long he'd last in the hoodie pulled over his head. Jimin's phone pinged. "I think someone's texting you," Hoseok handed the phone back, the youngest gasping as he shifted Yeontan.

"Can you _please_ take him hyung? It'd be easier to reply with both my thumbs." Yoongi didn't have a true chance to respond before the fluffy, lick-happy pup was being forced into his arms. 

Jimin was grinning, his thumbs flying as he read and then responded to whatever message he got. In fact the younger man was so invested with his cell, he narrowly missed a street post. 

"Is that really worth a concussion?" Yoongi scolded, tugging him by the collar to navigate him through a small cluster of tourists. Jimin ignored him, the dopey smile only widening.

Hoseok tried peering around to get a glimpse of Jimin's phone, eyes full of questions. "Ohh, whose icon is that?" 

Yoongi's head snapped down, catching a few cutesy emojis from whoever Jimin was texting with.

He'd assumed it was one of their packmates. Apparently not. "It's Hyerinie." the Beta replied, finally giving them a peek at the messages. Jimin had set the contact picture as a cute, cartoon sheep. The girl had recently sent a selca with an outdoorsy background. 

Yoongi couldn't explain why it made him grumpy, the amount of sudden fascination the maknaes had with her. They were acting like they never interacted with a girl before. "You're talking to Yeong Su's sister?" 

"That looks like the statue I saw online." Hoseok tilted his head thoughtfully. "Oh, it was in the pictures of the park."

"That's where she is!" the Beta exclaimed. 

"Is that why you wanted to come to the park?" Suspicion washed over the older rapper. The thought of an afternoon with just the three of them was souring fast in his mind. No matter where he went, Moon Hye-rin was right there. He just couldn't trust her story that easily.

No one lived their whole life unaware of their second gender unless they were raised in an underground bunker with no guidance at all. Maybe the reason why she didn't have her brother's number was because she was the one in the family with a few screws loose, and he didn't want anything to do with her. Namjoon had just been so adamant helping was right...

"No," Yoongi's dubious stare didn't change, and Jimin whined, wrapping himself tightly around his back. "I really didn't know she was anywhere nearby." Some of the irritation started to ease away, the scent of the boy clinging to his back calming him down.

Yeontan wiggled around in his grip, so the Alpha let him down. Jimin didn't let go, which made Yoongi roll his eyes. "Get off, people are starting to stare."

* * *

The tall trees and part of the walking trail were just up ahead. Yeontan would have tried to walk right across the street if not for the leash keeping him at Yoongi's side.

Hoseok reached over and squeezed the fingers gripping the dog's lead. There wasn't one of those precious, reverent smiles he loved so much, but sometimes all it took was a glimpse into the quiet man's eyes. That spoke volumes of his appreciation. 

His mood had dampened when Jimin brought up who he was texting. The oldest of the rapline was only cautious out of concern. Yoongi knew the lengths people would go to in order to appear harmless to gain access to celebrities.

That being said, Hobi didn’t really get the sense anything was off about Hye-rin except her insistence that she knew nothing about A/B/O dynamics. Generally even conservative households talked about it, if only to drive home the point that the "old way" with strict second gender roles was the right way.

As they crossed the street, Jimin had put away his phone, stuffing his hands into his jacket and trying to look around subtly. Hoseok patted his shoulder a few times, gesturing for him to go on ahead. The kid was practically vibrating in place, more anxious to bolt than Tannie. Quickly thanking him, the shorter man leaned up and pecked the corner of his mouth, then spun and bestowed a kiss on Yoongi. 

"Where are you going?" The white-haired man demanded. 

Biting his lips, Jimin lowered his shades enough to make sure Yoongi was subjected to the full effect of his pitiful stare. 

Grunting, the other Alpha simply turned his head away. "Go..."

"Thanks, hyung~" the vocalist sang, waving as he skipped off. 

Yoongi just shook his head, shoulders dropping in defeat. Hoseok carefully stepped around Yeontan's leash as the dog sniffed around, bumping against his boyfriend playfully. "He'll be back." He didn't like the non-committal noise he got, so he leaned further into Yoongi's side, taking full advantage of the fact that only middle-aged joggers who didn't seem to recognize them were around. "We haven't had time alone together in a while, yeah?" 

"I guess you're right." the older said slowly, raising a brow. 

"Wanna make it a date?" Hobi wiggled his eyebrows. Yoongi’s face softened, and the brunette knew he had him.

* * *

Hye-rin sat carefully on the edge of a fountain, finding the steady trickle of water to be relaxing. Jimin had definitely surprised her, saying he was coming to this very same park with his hyungs. Not wanting to infringe on his time with them, she didn't suggest meeting up. Instead she sent some happy emojis (because being an idol had to mean he didn't get peaceful strolls in the park often) and found a shady spot.

Since she already had her messages pulled up, she checked the new notifications. Somin sent two, one telling her to take care of herself and to feel free to stop by the café if she was ever in Seoul. Another said they were boarding the plane in an hour and she was planning to switch seats with Matthew so he could sit by J.Seph.

Hye-rin thought it was sweet, figuring Somin noticed what she had. But when the Omega told the Alpha girl how nice that was, she responded with several stressed emojis saying both boys were terrible to be beside on long flights. J.Seph drooled and Matthew snored. " _So they deserve each other._ " she concluded. There were messages from the others, too.

Jiwoo was spending a little more time with Jungkook, so she'd be heading back home on a later flight by herself. The blonde sent a short video of herself and her cousin goofing around, wearing matching smiles as they roamed the streets of the city. Hye-rin recognized the shopping district they were in and mentioned a few stores they might like to try. The older girl responded back " _Thank you! Headed there now!"_ soon after.

Next came the message from Taehyung, or, "J.Seph" as she had put him in her phone to avoid any confusion. **J.Seph** : " _You know you could still come to town if you change your mind later._ "

Hye-rin sighed, smiling wistfully. In the end, leaving Sokcho just felt...wrong. Not because of the pack that was offering to take her in for a while longer. No, if anything they made the offer ridiculously tempting. But even accepting a job to work with them felt kind of like relying on them heavily.

Most of all, she had yet to encounter one person who actually knew her, and her brother was due to return home in the next couple of days, according to what he told Bangtan about his schedule before leaving.

To everyone's knowledge, he still lived in Sokcho, and BTS would be staying longer than their friends so they could meet the producer in his hometown (while extending their vacation). Instead of causing more trouble by having to arrange a flight back when he arrived, she had opted to stay in Sokcho alone. 

She didn't think any of her new friends were keen on leaving her behind. It was the way Matthew reacted to that, the level of disappointment she could almost feel rolling off him, that made her feel the worst.

Hye-rin wasn't sure what it was, the way they met or something else but, every time she was around him the thought of just rolling over and showing her throat was strong. That was...a weird reaction she'd never had to anyone. Explaining it away as a small crush helped a bit. Still not completely though, because it was still out of the ordinary from her normal thoughts and feelings pertaining to one.

Not like she would ever act on it, if that's what it was. As with most crushes, Hye-rin figured she could just bury it and let it run its course. The feelings would dissolve after a while. J.Seph was there first and there was clearly a strong connection already. She'd never get in the way of someone who had far better chances like that. 

Glancing down, she composed herself and texted back.

 **Hyerin** : _Yeah, you guys made that pretty clear. I appreciate everything~_

[ _J.Seph sent a photo attachment_ ]

She was so startled over the image she almost dropped her phone in the fountain, readjusting the grip of her fingers to keep a better hold. Hye-rin recognized the airport's food court, and she could almost smell the assortment of snacks. Matthew was hunched over a small table that made him look massive, hoodie drawn and looking down at his phone, a half finished drink beside him.

 **J.Seph** : _He's sulking._

Wiping her sweating palm off, the girl replied.

 **Hyerin** : _Because he's leaving Sokcho probably. Face it, you're going to miss it here too!_

 **J.Seph** _: Because he's leaving you. He's going to miss you. We all will. _

The way her heart sped up rapidly was probably cause for concern any other time. She didn't expect him to be so...direct. She'd miss them too. Without them, who knows if she'd have survived her week.

 **Hyerin** : _If...if you guys ever come back to Sokcho you know where to find me._

 **J.Seph** _: It's almost time to go. Will you text Matt too?_

 **Hyerin** _: Okay...safe flight, alright?_

J.Seph sent a sticker of a cartoon lion saluting, and she clicked out of the message, already finding a text from the Alpha in question. 

**Matthew** : _Is it weird if I feel like saying 'bye' is kind of too depressing? Just feels like it's too stiff._

 **Hyerin** : _I know what you mean. Plus, I guess the bright side is we're both one flight away from each other._

 **Matthew** : _Yeah...you know if you need anything you can text one of us. But since you're gonna be staying by yourself, text Namjoon too since he's closer. He knows what's up and he said he'll keep an eye out._

 **Hyerin** : _Thanks, don't anticipate finding any trouble, but thanks. Oh, and for letting me stay in the girls' hotel room for another week._

 **Matthew** : _You can't walk around bumming the streets again like before. Seriously, before you do that, call Namjoon. He's good people._

 **Hyerin** : _Sure, got it._

**Matthew** : _Gotta go, about to board. Hit you up when I land?_

 **Hyerin:** _Yeah, sounds good. Catch a cat nap or something on the flight._

The thought made her giggle, only because if he was as bad as Somin made it seem, a lot of people were in for a bad time back to Seoul. 

No sooner had she closed out her messages, than she got a new one.

 **Kim Namjoon** : _Hey, uh I just wanted to let you know I got Yeongsu's best number._

All the saliva coating her throat suddenly felt too dense to swallow. Hye-rin bolted up, afraid she'd drop her phone in the fountain for sure. His number. Yeongie-oppa's number. That was all she wanted for the past week. It felt like all the world's mysteries and her own personal crisis was wrapped up in getting his number. Now that she had it, however, calling it was the most intimidating prospect Hye-rin could think of. 

Oblivious to the dilemma she was having by herself in the park, Namjoon went ahead and texted her the sequence of digits.

Fingers numb, she managed to type out a short thanks, not wanting to be rude. It wasn't his fault her life was a complicated, bizarre mess. 

Too restless to enjoy the atmosphere, Hye-rin got up and started pacing around the fountain, pushing her hands through her hair. Calling Yeong Su might solve everything. Or, it could just destroy her very last shred of hope if he gave her the cold shoulder. Decisions, decisions...

Hye-rin was so lost in her internal struggle, she barely noticed the new presence. Really, she didn't notice anyone there at all, until she came around the fountain again to see a teenage boy approaching her with worried eyes. That was when it occurred to her that she probably looked just crazy (yet harmless) enough to have people approaching asking about her mental state. Flushing, she froze. 

It was upon closer inspection that she noticed he looked just as frazzled as her, if not more so. His own hair was messy from the countless times she assumed he ran his fingers through it and his eyes were darting everywhere. "Miss, I'm sorry to bother you, but I..." his young voice grew too choked to continue. Feeling something inside push her forward, Hye-rin slowly approached.

"Hey, you're okay..." she soothed, barely controlling herself from reaching out for him. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

"It's..." he gulped. "It's my little sister." he whined. "I can't find her anywhere. My parents put me in charge of her for the day, and I only turned my back for a second, now she's gone." After getting it all out, the poor kid looked like he was ready to fold in on himself. When his knees buckled Hye-rin said damn the awkwardness and went to steady him with a hand to his shoulder. 

He was shaking like a leaf in a storm, she noted with a frown. "It's fine, I can help you look. Two sets of eyes are better than one, right?" His wide eyes met hers. "She's probably looking just as hard for you too, so it'll be alright." 

Some of the panic melted away, replaced by a tiny bit of relief. Hye-rin was able to see he really was a young teenager now. No more than fifteen at the oldest. 

"Thank you so much," he squeezed tight to her arm, and it kind of hurt, but she didn't think he meant anything by it. "The last place I saw her was at the other end of the park by the restrooms."

He began to pull, and Hye-rin wanted to tell him he could let go, she knew this park well. But she'd only just gotten him to calm down, the last thing she wanted was to see him worked up again if holding onto her was keeping him focused. Uncomfortable as it was, the Omega let him lead the way.

* * *

Yoongi had to admit, he was forgetting all about why he'd been so agitated. Hobi's energy was like a recharging station to him. His boyfriend held his hand, guiding him around the park even though neither of them really knew where they were going. Yeontan was just eager to have so many scents to indulge in, his fluffy tail whipping back and forth. Occasionally they'd stop when the dog found a tree he wanted to mark. As they passed bushes in bloom with delicate white and blue flowers, Hoseok stopped, leaning down to sniff them. 

Then he plucked one, twirling the short stem around before he held it up under Yoongi's nose. "Pick me, hyung?" he whispered, his lips forming that full, beautiful heart-shaped smile that still got his chest pounding.

A quick glance confirmed no one was really around or paying them any attention, and he leaned forward to claim those tempting lips in a kiss. Taking the flower Hoseok was holding and tucking it behind the other Alpha's ear, he sighed in content. "I already did."

Cheesy as it was, the rapper really did love moments like this. It never felt bad to be mushy like this with Hobi, or any of them. Lost in the moment, he was ready to lean back in for another kiss, but Hoseok pulled away suddenly, and he almost fell into his shoulder.

"Oi," Yoongi pouted, feeling betrayed. "Hobi..."

Hoseok's attention was already on something over his shoulder, but he was poking Yoongi frantically. "That's her!" he exclaimed, "That's Jiminie's friend." 

Ah, funny how quickly his high could come crashing down with just three words. "What?"

Sure enough, she was there, pretty much the same as the last time he'd seen her. The only change was that she was being dragged by a teenage boy, one he had seen and taken note of not long after they started strolling around.

Growing up in a big city like Daegu, Yoongi was always aware of his surroundings; he made it a point to be street smart. His nose told him that kid was trouble when he saw him standing off to the side of the walking trails, eyeing down every woman who passed the way Jin eyed cuts of meat at the supermarket when he was trying to decide on the perfect one. When he pointed him out to Hoseok, he agreed something was off. They kept an eye on the teen for a while, but he never tried approaching anyone, so they slowly moved on. It wasn't until they would sporadically pass others who just stood out too much that it dawned on the wary Alpha. 

They were a gang, trolling the park in broad daylight, more than likely on the hunt for someone vulnerable. Groups like that would send out a scout, usually someone young that could gain an Omega's trust (Omegas were almost always their targets).

The scout would approach with some sob story, playing on an Omega's nurturing instincts and luring them away to wherever the meeting point was. Then they'd be ganged up on and overwhelmed. Dragged off. They'd end up on the evening news as a missing person. It happened in Daegu. It happened in Seoul. It happened all over.

It had never happened right in front of him, though. To someone he'd met, at that. Sure, he didn't know her well, and he was annoyed by how attracted some of his mates were to her, but Yoongi didn't wish harm on her. The thought of the worst case scenario happening had him seeing red, and he was marching to catch up with them before they could turn the corner. Hoseok yelped, but he likely had a clue what was happening. Whipping out his phone, he dialed Jimin, who answered with a whine about how the park was bigger than he thought and he couldn't find Hye-rin.

"We found her." he said.

" _Really?!_ " Jimin squealed, excitement heavy in his voice. " _Where? I'll be right there~_ "

"Call the police first." Yoongi grunted, walking faster. He would bet the rest of that kid's gang wasn't far now. "Tell them exactly what I'm about to tell you."

That predictably got the Beta in a tizzy. " _What?! Hyung, what's going on?_ " 

"Shut up and concentrate, Chim." He winced, not meaning to snap at the poor pup. The Alpha would apologize to him soon. Jimin was understandably shocked. If he got a call from any of his packmates like this, he would be ready to go to war too. 

Sensing the urgency, Jimin quieted down. " _Okay,_ "

Yoongi gave Jimin a full physical description of the kid, a rough guess of his age, and the fact that he suspected he was trying to help traffic an Omega. The Beta's whine broke his heart, but he made sure Jimin had all the information down and where to meet them before hanging up. Picking Yeontan up as the poor pup struggled to match their pace, he called out to boy. "Hey! Where are you going with her?"

They could see the exact moment he knew he was caught, his fast strides increasing to full on sprinting. Hye-rin squawked, alarmed. "Ouch!" he heard her say. "Hey, hey! You're hurting me!" She started to struggle, and he wrenched her arm when she attempted to pull away. It was her scream that did it. 

The red film already making his vision hazy thickened. This punk kid was really hurting an Omega right in front of him. Hoseok was there to run in front of his intended escape route, and between all her fighting and the fact that the young, spineless Omega could see he was outnumbered, he let go of Hye-rin and bolted. Figures he would. Scouts were by no means the muscle of the operation. They led their victims to the rendezvous point and let the others handle the rest when it came to overpowering them. 

Losing her balance, Hye-rin fell onto the pavement with a cry. Jimin came dashing around the corner at that exact moment, narrowly avoiding getting bowled over by the fleeing culprit. "Hyungs!" he shouted. Skidding to a halt when he spotted the girl on the ground, he changed course to check on her. "Hyerinie," he whimpered, sitting her up slowly. 

"J-Jimin..." The Beta squatted beside her, wrapping her in a hug and burying his face into her neck. It was hard to say if the sniffling was coming from him or her.

Yoongi stormed closer, standing over them.

"What was that?" he snapped at her. A small part of him knew it wasn't her fault. No one asked to be preyed on. It was an unfair truth of the world's reality that Omegas were still seen as easy targets. The other, larger part of him was growing increasingly, irrationally angry. She put herself in harm's way with her naivete. As if she had no regard to the gruesome truth of what would have happened to her without their interference. 

Face pale, she twisted to stare up at him, tears falling endlessly. "H-He said...h-his sister was missing." 

"You fell for that?" The Alpha spat. "You don't have better common sense?"

"Yoongi," Hobi was caressing his back, trying to bring him down.

"Hyung," Jimin's grip tightened, "Stop, you're scaring her."

"She _should_ be." The venom just kept seeping out. No matter how much that part of him inside was flailing for him to dial it back, he couldn't. "You know what happens to Omegas who don't pay attention to their surroundings?"

Her big, amber eyes were heavily dilated, pushing back against Jimin so strongly it was like she was trying to fuse into him. 

"I..."

"They get _taken_." Yoongi leaned down, baring his teeth. "They get _sold_. They get _used_. Is that what you want? Some sick fuck of an Alpha that's not going to care how much you scream and beg him to stop, he's just going to keep pounding--"

"Yoongi, enough already!" Hoseok growled. It was rare to see Hoseok angry, and scary when it did happen. Yoongi felt scalded, knowing that the anger was directed his way, but he backed down. "Take a walk, cool your head." His boyfriend commanded. The sound of the Omega in Jimin's arms sobbing made his stomach curdle up like spoiled milk, and suddenly he couldn't get away fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, unfortunately, am a liar! I'm sorry that the reunion wasn't in this chapter. I really thought it would be but my muse guided me here and I went with it. The end got a lil dark, a little scary. How is everyone feeling about an unexpected appearance by angry Yoongi? I promise he's going to feel bad about being an asshole really soon. I think Hye-rin landing in situations where her Omega status was taken advantage of was sort of impossible to avoid. 
> 
> Let me know how you're liking the story and what you'd like to see from next chapter in regards to the aftermath of this, plus her meeting this world's version of her brother!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After seeing the ugly truth of what could happen because of her new Omega status, Hye-rin finds comfort in the protection and generosity of the Bangtan Boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am glad people feel invested in Hye-rin and the plot, and of course the two lovely packs. I got to write some of those protective cuddles I adore so much, tons of BTS interactions, and tooth-rotting fluff. So needless to say I'm very happy with that. *fist pumps* I hope the people who wanted to see the softness enjoy this.

Another hour and a half, and Hye-rin was still pretty shaken up. Jimin hadn't left her side, holding her hand gently when the police arrived and got them to make statements. Speaking softly with Hobi-hyung, they had agreed she needed to go see a doctor.

The scrapes from when she'd fallen and bruises from being jerked around were bad enough, but Jimin also didn't like the way she was holding her arm close to her chest. Asking if she was in pain didn't tell him much, as she was in a state of shock and could barely string a sentence together. 

It was easy for them to arrange getting a ride. Even while on vacation, Big Hit provided drivers to ensure that there were no incidents with public transport services. The Beta stroking her knuckles as they rode to the clinic she had received treatment for dehydration from.

The stern Dr. Won was luckily there again, someone Hye-rin recognized. It didn't make her more talkative, but despite being unhappy to see her back so soon, the physician was understanding in her own way.

She confirmed what Jimin was worried about. The wrist was badly sprained. All that could be done was wrapping it, prescribing some mild pain medicine, and advising her not to use it.

After attending to Hye-rin's cuts as well, Dr. Won had some strict words for her. "We haven't known each other long Miss Moon, but it concerns me that not long after you promised to be more mindful of your health, you're back again with new injuries. I hope it doesn't take a more serious mishap before you take my words to heart." she paused, but all the Omega could do was nod wordlessly, eyes still bloodshot and puffy. 

"Please don't worry, seonsaengnim. I'll make sure she takes it easy this time." 

The woman's cutting gaze was intimidating, the idol had to admit. After a tense moment of being stared down, she nodded curtly. "See to it."

Jimin fully intended to follow through with his declaration, which was why he told Hoseok he was going to take Hye-rin back to her hotel. He was sure Hobi would relay the message to everyone else, and there wasn't any doubt he would inform the rest of the pack about what happened.

He'd kind of have to, because Yoongi... The young man knew his hyung didn't mean to be so harsh. He was just worried, and when that mixed with frustration it could be volatile. They'd all been there. If anything, he was probably kicking himself right about now.

Checking on Hye-rin to see her continuing to stare listlessly out the window, Jimin decided he couldn't bother to concern himself with how guilty Yoongi might be feeling. He was going to have to realize he was in the wrong and apologize. 

The nondescript company car pulled up to the hotel, and the idol knew he had to switch into stealth mode to get them upstairs without being spotted. If some tabloid like Dispatch got ahold of this "story", they were going to get reamed out by the higher ups at Big Hit for sure. The boys weren't expressly forbidden from having non-idol friends. They were just expected to use caution and good judgement. 

Jimin intended to do so to protect both Hye-rin, and what had so far been a pretty good vacation. Making sure his light disguise was still secured, Jimin maneuvered them out of the car. "Hyerinie," he whispered, "You have your room key, right?"

The girl, quiet as she'd been since she'd stopped crying, nodded. Fumbling in the pocket of her shorts, she took it out and gave it to him. Offering a small smile, the pink-haired Beta took a deep breath and started for the back entrance with her in tow. The place was nice, but not nearly as exclusive as their rented penthouse, so just as when they were leaving concert venues and places where they could be recognized, Jimin made sure to have them dropped off at the quietest entry point. 

"We're almost there," he told her, walking into the back of the lobby. His hood was up, his shades were on, and he had on a mask. Hopefully that would be enough. Despite not talking, Hye-rin at least seemed cognizant of what he was trying to do, because she kept up with his pace without faltering once.

They reached the elevators and Jimin sent up a quick prayer as it slid open. Only one person was on board, a man in a maintenance uniform who tipped his hat but didn't bother them otherwise. Nonetheless, his heart was in his throat and he wasn't taking chances, so he hit the button swiftly for the doors to close.

"What floor?" he asked softly. Any other time, if the situation wasn't so somber, Jimin would have been amused by the fact that he had to lean down for her. Just a bit. 

"Five." she replied, and he took the initiative of pressing the correct button. The ride was silent save for the faint hum as they traveled up. The elevator first stopped on three, and the man got out after tipping his hat at them again. Rowdy conversation traveled to them from down the hall, and Jimin smashed the button again, not waiting to see if it was someone trying to get on. 

Just two more floors, he told himself, taking a shaky breath. The sound of the ding that announced they had arrived was so sweet, Jimin got goosebumps. Once again he took the lead, walking in a random direction down the hall before he realized something. "What room?" he mumbled sheepishly. 

"921." Doing a little navigation, Jimin found the room without much trouble, swiping the card key and ushering them inside as soon as he heard the click. It appeared much like an average, neat hotel room with made beds and standard amenities provided for guests.

The only thing that struck him as odd was aside from a surfboard and backpack, Jimin didn't see much that let him know Hye-rin was staying there. Thinking back to the conversation they had the day she came by the penthouse, he remembered she was actually from Sokcho City. It didn't really explain why she was living out of a hotel, but it didn't feel like the right time to try to ply that out of her.

Gently untangling their fingers, Hye-rin stepped further into the room, gingerly wrapping her arms around her stomach. The way she looked like she was trying to make herself smaller broke his heart. "Um," Oh, she was making direct eye contact! That was a good thing. "I really need to thank you for bringing me all the way here. I know you were going to spend the day at the park with your hyungs. I'm sorry--"

"Hyerinie, no," Jimin stepped closer, his voice soft but firm. She didn't look intimidated, which was good. "Don't apologize. _I_ should be saying sorry about..." He didn't really want to think about it, or bring up bad memories for her.

Blinking, Hye-rin hastily swiped at her eyes. "That wasn't on you at all." Forcing a lopsided grin, she motioned toward the door Jimin assumed led to the bathroom. "I think I'm gonna shower." She moved to her bag and pulled out some balled up clothes. 

"Okay," The Beta sat down on the bed she wasn't using. "Want me to wait for you?" He was terrified she'd say no. Jimin really didn't want to leave her alone. It might have been dumb, especially for someone who lived a life where he already got precious little privacy, but he wanted Hye-rin around.

Taehyung wasn't exaggerating when he said it was a while since any of them got to make some non-famous friends. She treated them so normally and had such a relaxed demeanor it was easy to feel like they'd known her for longer.

Yeah, he should definitely be careful but, in his heart he knew she wasn't a threat to them. Yoongi was just going to have to get over his paranoia at some point, because there was no way she was some sasaeng hiding her true intentions. He wanted this friendship. He was prepared to fight for this friendship. 

"You can," she gulped, easing toward the bathroom. It was the brief flicker of relief in her eyes that made Jimin sure that she didn't really want to be left alone just yet either. "I'll try not to be too long."

"Take your time." he called as the door softly shut. Jimin flopped back on the bed, hearing the sound of the shower start up. Behind that door, Hye-rin was stripping down, the water sliding over her pretty skin. Shifting restlessly, the Beta snarled at himself, dispelling those thoughts as fast as they surfaced. In no way, shape or form would it be appropriate to think of her that way. Especially not after everything she just went through.

The buzzing from his back pocket tickled his butt, and Jimin reached back with an inaudible groan. The device was ringing, the caller ID and picture lighting up his screen. Swiping lazily, Jimin barely breathed into the phone before a boisterous voice blasted into his ear. " _Jiminie_!"

Rolling on his back again, Jimin moved it away from his ear slightly. "Too loud, TaeTae." 

" _Hobi-hyung told us what happened in the park today. Is Hyerinie okay? Are you there with her?! Is she--_ "

Sitting up, Jimin sighed audibly into the receiver. "Slow down," he whined. "I already have a headache." Tae got quiet, allowing him to finish. "I decided to stay with her because I was scared of leaving her alone. She's..." he peered at the door, knowing she couldn't possibly hear anything over the running water, "really shaken up. She didn't say more than two words to me until a few minutes ago. Right now she's in the shower."

" _...What's going on with Yoongi-hyung?_ " The question had Jimin rolling his eyes. It wasn't hard to imagine Yoongi shutting himself up in his room and leaving Hoseokie-hyung to do all the talking. And of course, he didn't tell them how he reacted.

None of them would approve of that. It was only a matter of time before Yoongi came clean with them, because their hyung wasn't as tough as he pretended to be, and he wasn't a coward. 

"He blew up at her." Jimin revealed.

" _Are you serious?_ " Taehyung was clearly pissed. The pack joked about the casual savagery of Min Suga. All of them knew it was a stage persona. The true Yoongi without cameras rolling and behind closed doors did indeed have a spine of steel and razor sharp wit, but he could also be so soft for them. That didn't mean he didn't have a rarely seen, highly explosive temper. Usually when one of them did something dumb that jeopardized their health and he didn't know how to articulate his concern properly. " _How bad?_ "

"Bad," Jimin worried his bottom lip with the fingers of his free hand. "I think that's part of the reason she shut down so fast. When she comes out I'm going to try to get her talking a little bit. I just don't want her to blame herself."

" _Hyung's gonna have to fix it. Otherwise she won't be comfortable being our friend._ "

"Go easy on him. He was an ass and he needs to apologize, but I'm sure he already knows that. I know he's already regretting it."

" _Hm..._ "

"Tae."

" _Alright,_ " Taehyung mumbled. " _I won't punish hyung yet._ " They shared a giggle over that. The fans were right about one thing; both Jimin and Taehyung had incredible duality. When they felt slighted enough to team up against any of their hyungs, revenge was swift and sweet.

Tae also had a more serious side to his Alpha. Sweet and quirky as he normally was, there was also the part of him that was possessive and downright dominant.

Memories flooded through his head of times when Tae became **Taehyung** in front of their eyes. The noticeably controlling gestures in public and the rough sex when it got close to his ruts.

Squeezing his legs together, Jimin pictured Bang PD-nim in his underwear. 

"Do me one more favor?" the Beta pleaded.

" _What is it?_ "

"Ask Jungkookie to drop off a change of clothes for me? Pajamas and something for tomorrow?"

" _You're going to spend the night then?_ "

"Yeah...if she'll have me."

" _Jiminie~_ " Tae sang out.

"There's another bed here!" the Beta sputtered. "She's hurting and I just don't want to leave her alone to get lost in her head."

" _I know,_ " Taehyung acknowledged. " _Sorry, I know you'd never take advantage of something like this. I'll tell Koo. He should be back soon._ " 

"I love you, TaeTae."

" _Love you, Chimmy._ " 

They hung up, and Jimin entertained himself by mindlessly scrolling online while he waited. So far nothing about any BTS sightings in the park or secret romantic meet-ups with mysterious women. _Good_. That was the last thing anybody needed to deal with.

Pleased, he found the TV remote and flipped the television on. He wasn't really paying much attention, just skipping through channels to pass the time. Making up his mind and settling for a drama that looked kind of interesting, he laid down on his stomach, arms pillowing his head.

Eyes fluttering drowsily, Jimin got about twenty minutes into the show before the bathroom door opened and steam wafted out. He sat up and grinned, reminded of smokescreen effects on stage as Hye-rin appeared in baggy shorts and a tank top. 

Noticing the lack of bra and the faint outline visible through the material, Jimin dutifully shifted focus to her face and only her face. 

"Sorry for the wait," she muttered, holding the clothes she'd shed under one arm. "I was trying not to get the wrapping too wet." 

"You don't have to keep apologizing." Jimin commented.

Hye-rin drifted by him to sit on the other bed, tucking her bare feet up. "What's this?"

"Just a drama I haven't seen. Do you want the remote?"

"No," she waved his offer off, tapping her feet against the comforter. "This is fine. I'm not really caught up on any new dramas right now, but I use to watch them religiously last summer with Choonhee."

The two leads were polar opposites, a stiff lawyer who was successful in his career but with no time for love. And a kindergarten teacher with a fondness for nurturing others who preferred to look on the bright side. They were neighbors who kept running into each other and growing closer unexpectedly. "You know," Hye-rin rested her chin on her knee, eyes glued to the screen. "This is all meant to be the classic formula for an ideal romance, but I think some of the plots are kind of realistic." 

"Aw, Hyerinie, are you a romantic?" the young man teased.

"I never thought of myself as one," she admitted, "But I guess depending on how you look at it...I just don't think there's anything wrong in wanting to find ideal happiness. Whatever that looks like for someone." Gasping, she added, "Someone who's not a serial killer or something." 

Jimin found his eyes crinkling as he smiled her way fondly. She was kind of like Jungkookie. It was cute. "What's ideal happiness to you?" Truth be told, he was not only glad she didn't appear as shell-shocked as when she went for a shower, but also fascinated by her way of thinking. 

"That's tough." she shifted her position and laid her injured wrist carefully in her lap. "I liked my life the way it was." He noticed the past tense right away but let her keep talking. "No one gets sunshine all the time, but I've kind of always been willing to see where life takes me. I'm grateful for having a supportive family, and finding things I'm really passionate about from a young age. I wouldn't say I've ever been super popular, but I have a best friend who's got my back and in school I at least got along with most people in my classes." 

"Hyerinie..." Hoping it was okay, Jimin got up and migrated to her bed, sitting on the side. There was still plenty of space between them, her in the middle and everything, but it sounded like she was on the cusp of something that could be emotional for her. "Are you not happy now?" 

Slowly, her eyes lost focus as she bounced her knee. Maybe that was too direct, he fretted. _Today_ definitely wasn't a happy day for her. "...Jimin, can I...can I tell you a secret?" she mumbled down at her lap.

Nodding almost desperately, Jimin crawled closer until he was facing her in the center of the bed. He could see her getting up the courage to say what was on her mind. Doing what sometimes helped his packmates, he reached out and rubbed her arm supportively.

"Lately...things have been different. I think I'm usually good at rolling with the punches. Maybe too good, depending on who you ask. My best friend tells me I'm kind of a pushover," Hye-rin flinched. "Like...like today. When he told me his sister was lost I related so I wanted to try and help. _I've_ been feeling lost in the city I've spent my whole life in. I mean...have you ever felt like a stranger in your own life?" 

Moving down her arm, Jimin picked up her hand and held it just like he'd done on the way there. He didn't want to assume he knew exactly what she was talking about, but he sort of felt like he did. Fame had been an adjustment. Before he was an average boy from Busan who loved to dance.

His teacher praised his talents and encouraged him to follow his passions, but he never imagined it would lead him to being part of a group that would become a global sensation. There were times before, and even now, where he didn't feel like his skin really fit. "Yes." 

"Then you know. You're famous, so of course you do." The way her lips twitched wasn't so much an attempt at a smile as a grimace. "For me it kind of happened overnight. Everything's the same on the surface. The same ocean, the same local spots I've always gone to. But now I'm living out of a hotel room paid for by the kindness of other people. There's somebody else working my job. All the schools I've been to say they've never heard of me. I can't..." Hye-rin tipped her head back and blinked rapidly. A last futile attempt to stave off what was waiting behind a crumbling dam. "I'm just _lost_. I don't think I've ever been so lost and I'm drowning." Withdrawing her hand from his, she used it to press against her lips when the first hysterical sob broke through. 

Jimin moved closer yet again, until their knees touched. He placed a hand in her hair, smoothing some of the damp strands away from her eyes. It was so soft, and his fingers moved like they had a mind of their own. "Why are you lost, Hyerinie?" he spoke gently. "Help me understand." 

She swallowed, refusing to look him in the eyes. "Okay, this is going to sound totally, totally crazy to you. I-It sounds crazy to me. So crazy, I haven't exactly been sure it's possible." The Beta kept stroking her head, but his mind was racing with reasons she might think she sounded crazy. "Everybody thinks I'm bullshitting when I say I've never heard of this pack and Alpha, Omega, Beta stuff. B-But it's true! The day I met Jungkook and Jiwoo, I went out surfing by myself early in the morning. Nothing new, nothing unordinary. I don't really remember what happened after I got out on the water. I was just...just coming to on the sand, and everything after that's been wild." 

Jimin nodded to show he was still listening. She fidgeted with the string of her shorts, and he could see the indentation of her tongue pressed into her cheek while she thought. "A bad wipe-out doesn't happen to me a lot, but it's whatever. The day kept getting weirder though. I went to my apartment and someone else lived there. I called my landlord and he told me I was never a tenant, but I'd _just paid rent_! I went to pick myself up at my favorite seafood bar, and some creepy guy starts rambling on and on about Omega this, and scenting that. I just wanted to eat in peace!"

"Is that where you met Matt-hyung?" he ventured a guess.

"Yeah," A shy grin surfaced, making Hye-rin look like a schoolgirl with her first crush. Jimin was actually somewhat envious. It made no sense, considering his whole pack had crushes on Matt and J.Seph (crushes that as far as they knew were unreciprocated). Then again he wasn't jealous of _Hye-rin_ in this scenario. He was jealous of... "I don't know what I would've done. Just so glad he showed up when he did." she sighed. "He was a perfect gentleman. He offered to take me home and I couldn't tell him I didn't really have anywhere to go, so I let him take me back to what _was_ my apartment." 

Jimin didn't like where this was going, petting slightly harder as his suspicions grew. "Hyerinie, you didn't..."

"Not the first night. I had enough cash for a room." Finally catching his gaze and holding it, she blew a defeated breath out. "It uh, just didn't last long. I started rationing and it wasn't so bad."

"Hye-rin!" The Beta scolded.

"What else could I really even do, Jimin?" she asked helplessly. "I’m exhausted. The reason I'm so lost is because it's like I don't exist anymore. I haven't been able to find any proof I do. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if I call the hospital where I was born and they don't have a record... I...” She shifted up onto her knees and braced her hands out in front of her as she continued, “This movie I watched a couple of nights ago sort of got me wondering, what if this is some alternate reality. Everything's the same, except I just don't exist? Except here, there's second genders and stuff." 

She stopped speaking after that, and Jimin had stopped petting. His brain was trying desperately to make sense of all the information. The problem was he was no Namjoon. This was a lot...and she was right, hard to believe on top of it all.

Once he got past the fact that people didn't just find parallel worlds outside dramas and sci-fi, he was able to focus on the fact that people's entire lives didn't disappear into thin air either. It was possible. He'd heard conspiracy theories about the government ' _erasing_ ' people who got on their bad side. But Hye-rin wasn't some national threat to security. That much his brain _did_ process.

"You think I'm crazy," she chuckled, a hollow, brittle sound. "I told you you would." The way her eyes dimmed, the fact that Jimin could see her seconds from shutting down again after spilling her heart out, had him trying to offer comfort anyway he could. Betas were middlemen in the dynamics of Alphas and Omegas, who were often intense on one end of the spectrum or another.

Omegas, no matter their personalities, inherently invoked the instinct to protect. They could soothe grumpy Alphas with just a purr, and take some of the burden off Betas that came from constantly being in the middle. Packs didn't _have_ to have them, but they really rounded everything out. Complicated things too sometimes, generally through no fault of their own. 

Regardless of all that, the one in front of him needed reassurance that she wasn't alone, and Jimin could do that much. Gently grasping both sides of her head, he tugged it down until they were forehead to forehead. He was probably messing up both their bangs, but he was under the impression Hye-rin wouldn't mind too much. "Hyerinie," he crooned. "You're so brave. You've been keeping all that in for over a week now." 

"I'm so _stupid_ ," she blubbered, eyes shining wetly. "I don't know how anything works here but I still tried to do what I always do and look where it almost got me."

Her words faded into hiccups and her nose started to drip, but Jimin didn't remove his face from hers. Letting his arms drop, he began rubbing her sides. "You tried to help, because you're good. It's not your fault for being kind. It's the world's fault for having people in it who take advantage of that. But you're not stupid for caring." In this moment, Jimin truly understood her. It was hard in a cruel world when you cared too much. When your instinct was to help people and you had to remind yourself some people would use it against you. 

It was...it was weird, unlikely, ridiculous. Whatever words someone wanted to use to describe it. But, if he could suspend his disbelief for a moment, Jimin realized a _lot_ made sense about the girl if he thought about her being from a world where A/B/O dynamics didn't exist.

On top of that adjustment, she didn't know anyone and no one knew her. She was alone out there trying to remain positive while inside she must have been terrified, lonely and confused the entire time.

Jimin's stomach shrank into tight knots the deeper he thought about it. Someone raised in a world without second genders wouldn't understand their own instincts. They wouldn't understand the expectations society had of them because of it. They'd never know the comfort of being scented by your packmates after a long stressful day, or the total love and protection that fell over you like a security blanket when you found that special someone...or special someone _'s_ and formed a mating bond. 

To be an Omega thrust into this new world...Jimin turned beat red so fast it had to be a record. How would they navigate heats, or taking a knot?

If Hye-rin really didn't know that, she probably didn't know about scent blockers and heat suppressants. Hadn't ever even seen a doctor that specialized in Omega health and reproduction. There was just so much she wouldn't know, and that **horrified** him. He couldn't imagine how _she_ would feel.

Still latched onto Hye-rin, Jimin knew he couldn't afford to panic and risk having her pick up on it. His hands continued their path up and down, up and down, his face dropping to her neck to offer a few nuzzles. "I believe you." he whispered into her skin. 

The Omega stirred, her breath hitching. "You...you what?"

"I believe you." he repeated, drawing his face from her shoulder and grinning. 

The way her doe eyes shone from their depths, his face reflected back at him and the way her lips parted in a wordless gasp made him laugh. She was so adorable without really trying. 

A joyful noise traveled up her throat, and Hye-rin wrapped her good arm around him in a hug, whispering thank you's into his chest like a prayer. Jimin returned it, thinking nothing of how fast it had all progressed.

Offering this level of comfort to a friend wasn't unheard of. A little on the intimate side, but the Beta took full responsibility there since he was the one to initiate, and Hye-rin didn't know better. As long as it helped her calm down, who was it hurting?

"Better?" he pinched at her cheek. 

"Yeah, actually. I...I was so scared to tell anybody. I know how it all sounds." Placing her hand on his shoulder, she tilted her head and studied him as though he was responsible for putting the stars in the sky. "I'm glad the first person I told was you."

In hindsight, that was probably the start of his undoing.

* * *

His heart was in his throat. Jungkook tossed a glance over his shoulder, because for a second on the way up, one of the ladies checking in stared a little too long, almost like she saw through his disguise.

Other than that, though, no one in the lobby paid him much attention. The hotel staff didn't say a word, so he continued on to his destination. He double checked with his hyung before getting out of the car, just in case. The penthouse was so chaotic it was hard to hear himself think, let alone remember instructions.

He barely finished dropping Jiwoo off at the airport when he got a call from Taehyung. The minute he started speaking in a serious voice, Jungkook had a bad feeling. It only grew worse when his hyung explained that Jimin, Yoongi and Hoseok saw Hye-rin at the park. Any brief spark of jealousy was immediately replaced by shock that rooted him to the spot (thankfully he was already back in the car) after Tae told him the whole story. 

Traffickers in broad daylight, traffickers that almost got Hye-rin if his packmates hadn't intervened. As an Alpha, and a famous one at that, the odds of falling victim to something horrible of that nature was slim for him. But Jungkook remembered a time pre-debut that still made him shudder to think of to the day.

Back when he was a scrawny, super shy trainee that hadn't presented, he was out with some of his hyungs. It was a well deserved rest from all the intense amounts of practice all the time. They went to an open market with the intention of meandering around to browse for a few hours. 

The Alpha remembered perfectly well how excited he'd been, so happy to finally get to do something normal on a weekend. Namjoon warned him, in all fairness. He made him promise to keep close to them at all times so they didn't get separated.

Jungkook agreed to that, holding onto Jin's hand as they window shopped. It was all fine until he got distracted and let go. Quietly telling Jin he'd be right back while the Beta was in the middle of conversation with a vendor, he slipped off back to the area he'd been interested in.

His mouth watered over the candies, and the hand-crafted bags made him decide when he got some money, he would come back and buy one for each of his hyungs. Jungkook decided to head back after that, not wanting to worry the very same hyungs he was planning on spoiling some day. 

That was the plan, at least. It was just hard to navigate with the sheer volume of people all packed together, not to mention his sensitivity to smells. He was very particular about them, as they had always seemed to strongly effect him in turn.

Jungkook loved scenting his hyungs when he hugged them or cuddled with them, or just when he walked by them. They never minded because everyone was aware it gave the youngest much needed comfort, especially when he was missing home or getting overwhelmed by their rigorous schedule.

Lost and vulnerable as he was in the moment, Jungkook would have given up his allowance the next three months to be able to bury his face into one of his hyungs necks and just stay there. But there was no such opportunity to be found, and he was growing more panicked by the second until two slightly older boys approached him, asked him what was wrong. Jungkook noticed right away they were Betas, but neither had a scent that particularly interested him. 

At the same time, he'd reasoned, they weren't really what he'd call threatening. Hopefully they could give him some directions. Explaining that he needed to get back to his hyungs and telling them the last place he saw Jin, they said they could help.

Blindly following them was so naïve, in hindsight. Maybe if he hadn't been so focused on getting reunited with the group of boys who had become his family he would have seen that.

One guided him by the hand through the crowds, the other walked behind them. It took a while for Jungkook to wonder why they still hadn't seen any of his hyungs. Was the market that big? It took a while after that for him to grow suspicious of the fact that he was being taken to an area with fewer and fewer stalls and fewer and fewer people.

Gathering up his courage, Jungkook questioned where they were going. He may not have known his way around, but it didn't seem anything like where he'd been with his hyung. The empty attempts to placate him got his anxiety rising, a few whines escaping. One confirmed he hadn't presented yet, and the second remarked that he would make a very pretty Omega.

That was the final straw. Jungkook had nothing against presenting Omega if it happened, but the way they were discussing it made him feel uncomfortable. The hand that had been holding his slipped to his back, and he bolted. Tearing away from the two of them, the alarmed boy ran and ran, tears stinging his eyes.

He didn't stop, didn't slow, didn't look back. In his daze, he swore he heard someone call his name, but it wasn't until he collided with a warm chest, a familiar smelling chest, that he stopped running. Namjoon was staring down at him with wide eyes, and he clung tight to his hyung and apologized in between sobbing.

That day was a painful reminder of how some people readily took advantage of anyone they thought was an easy mark. It had taken the rest of the day for his pack to calm him down. He refused to sleep unless he was tucked between at least two of them for a week after that. So when Taehyung told him to take clothes for Jimin to stay over with her, he understood. 

Knocking at the door to the room Jimin said they were in, he rocked back on his heels and waited. There was some shuffling from inside, and Jungkook knew Jimin would check through the peephole before opening the door. The young Alpha heard heard the lock being unlatched, and Jimin's pink head poked out soon after.

"Kookie," he smiled, opening the door wider and stepping aside. 

Jungkook shuffled in with the duffle and Jimin shut the door behind him. The first thing he did was look around for the Omega that had been on his mind the whole way over. He didn't see her but her scent was strong in the air and it made his toes curl. What he didn't like was the lingering distress wrapped up in it, but he trusted his hyung had made it better already. 

A light tug on the bag reminded him he actually had barely acknowledged said hyung. "Aren't you going to hand it over?" Jimin huffed.

Jungkook uncurled his fingers, letting the Beta pry it away from him. He followed his hyung further into the room, watching Jimin set the duffle on the bed closest to the door and start to rifle through it.

He inspected the clothes Jungkook had picked out for him, holding them up as if they didn't come out of his wardrobe. The younger sat down on the edge of the bed and rolled his eyes. "They're all yours. You should have seen it all before." 

Jimin lowered the shirt in his hands with a pout. "Why'd you bring the baggiest thing I packed?"

Not understanding, Jungkook cocked his head. "I thought it'd be comfy to sleep in." Did he get it wrong? Jimin loved oversized shirts, always stealing them from the others. Come to think of it, he considered, his hyung also liked to wear couples pajama sets and match with one of them. His sleepwear was really a toss up.

"I bet it's going to be too hot for this," the older sighed, tossing it down.

"Sleep shirtless." Jungkook blurted. The older boy looked scandalized at the mere suggestion and he couldn't figure out why. It was no big deal to sleep skin to skin in their pack. It wasn't like everyone hadn't already seen everything anyway. 

"I don't want to make Hye-rin uncomfortable." his boyfriend explained. Jimin turned away, and when Jungkook followed his movements he caught sight of the Omega out on the balcony by herself, face to the breeze. "She's been through a lot and I actually got her to open up about it."

Jungkook scratched at the side of his head. "Do you want me to bring a different shirt?" he asked. He would do it, if it helped. 

"It's fine, I can make it work." Jungkook kept still as Jimin got closer, finally slotting himself between the younger's knees and wrapping his arms around him. "Thanks, Kookie." The kiss on the cheek and sincere gratitude were nice. That alone was enough to make the maknae glow with pride. This time though, when his hyung leaned into him he caught the mouth-watering combination of Hye-rin's scent totally mixed with Jimin's.

Jungkook's hand fisted into the front of his hyung's shirt as he tugged him down to scent properly. He'd catalogued all their smells, both individually and the various combinations from cuddling, sharing clothes and love making.

The particularity and sensitivity he had always had about smells had only seemed to increase as he got older. Some, Jungkook latched onto easily. And he found Hye-rin's attractive from day one. He could admit that.

Jungkook really wasn't sure exactly why but it was so calming to him. It never crossed his mind how intoxicating it could become when mixed with that of his packmate's.

Jimin was coated in it liberally, a strong indication they had been in close contact. Hugging? Cuddling? It didn't matter, the youngest just knew he needed more of it. 

A hand came up to pet his hair, Jimin snorting at the nose tickling at his collarbone and pushing his shirt further out of the way. Jungkook sighed, embracing the smaller body to keep him close. "Smells so good, hyung," he said, his voice muffled. All he wanted was to keep his face there for hours. 

"I should've known you'd get like this." The Beta reflected, smirk in his voice, "Jungkookie's always had a scent kink~"

Well, as Jungkook rubbed his face fully across Jimin's chest, that would be something kind of hard to deny. Smelling his partners in the bedroom was a turn on, but even beyond arousal...it just made everything right in his world to be surrounded by the unique scents of the people he loved. It was home.

The low, rhythmic rumble in his ears vaguely registered as purring. His purring. Now he had pulled Jimin so close, the older boy was practically straddling his lap. In all fairness, he wasn't exactly being held captive. His hyung was letting him indulge without objection, just carding small, gentle fingers through his hair. 

Not even the slide of the doors leading to the balcony stopped him. Although Jungkook did lift his head to prop up on Jimin's shoulder, peering around him as Hye-rin padded into the room.

"You were right," she mumbled, closing her eyes and giving a big stretch. It was cute the way she stood on the very tips of her toes, shirt lifting to expose extra skin before she lowered her arms. "I think a little fresh air is what I needed." The Omega closed the door, only seeming to take note of Jungkook when she turned back around. "Oh," Her eyes skated over their position, smile a little shy. "Hi Jungkook," she waved, "Jimin said you'd stop by."

Fiddling with the end of her hair appeared to be a habit of hers, one she reverted to whenever she wasn't sure and needed to give herself time to think. Jungkook wondered if it was because his presence made her uncomfortable now. Jimin was a Beta. She probably felt safer with him.

After being attacked like that, Alpha scents might be too threatening. The more he convinced himself of that, the quicker he pushed his hyung out of his lap. Jimin stumbled, protesting with an indignant gasp even as he managed to right himself. The good mood and pleasant buzz of scenting was spoiled by the thought that Hye-rin might not feel okay being around him.

"Yes, I brought his bag for him," he mumbled, getting up. 

"That was nice of you. I'm sorry I'm taking him away for a little while." Hye-rin told him. Jungkook cracked a smile. It was like she thought she stole away his hyung from under their noses, when it was all Jimin's idea in the first place. 

"It's fine. He won't be gone long enough to miss." The cheekiness made her face soften, and the young Alpha was so proud of himself for that he completely ignored Jimin's soft scowl.

"Kookie was just getting ready to leave." Jimin spoke through a tight smile. "Then we can order food if you want. On me!" 

"I'm not going to lie, my appetite's coming back in a big way right about now." Hye-rin confessed.

"Okay!" Jimin cheered, scooping up the shirt from the bed and taking out a pair of pajama bottoms. "I'll go change and you can think of what we're having."

"If you're paying then maybe you should decide," Hye-rin suggested. "I don't want to pick something you wouldn't like."

"No, you choose!" Jimin brushed by Jungkook on the way to the bathroom, and the Alpha craned his neck with a faint whine. He wouldn't mind smelling that shirt longer. Maybe he'd smuggle it out with him when he left.

With Jimin's temporary exit, they were left alone, and Hye-rin gave him an inquisitive stare. "How was shopping with Jiwoo?" 

So much had happened between now and this morning, Jungkook almost forgot about the fun he had with his cousin. Being that Hye-rin was such an attentive listener, telling her about what he'd gotten up to was kind of nice.

Right up until his stomach growled miserably. Sure, he'd eaten snacks when they walked around in and out of stores, but Jungkook hadn't had time to get anything filling since he had to rush back to get Jimin's clothes.

"Sounds like you're as bad off as me." Hye-rin tucked her feet up on the bed and reached into the drawer of the nightstand. "I was going to look at what's on the menu for room service," The girl waved the binder she'd pulled out with a knowing smile. "It's fine if you hang around and eat with us. I'm kind of in the mood for more company, not less, and Jimin shouldn't mind, right?"

Right on time, his hyung emerged from the bathroom with a bright smile, "What are we having?" he asked.

Hye-rin shrugged. "Sorry, we got caught up talking, so we haven't decided yet."

"We?" Jimin repeated. Jungkook didn't even bother trying to look innocent, the accusing expression on the older boy's face was just too good. 

"I decided to stay for a little longer. Thanks for the food, hyung~" he chirped. Inside, he was losing it over the way Jimin's jaw dropped. 

* * *

After a meal with Jungkook and Jimin's banter, Hye-rin had to admit, she was in better spirits. The shock and pain of the day wasn't far below the surface and she knew that.

On the other hand, there was also no denying that due to the presence of the two boys, the darkness in her head hadn't been as bad as it could have gotten. They didn't understand how grateful to them she felt for that. 

It was fairly late by the time Jungkook left them, and she would have thought of asking him to stay given the fact that he was clearly lingering, but Jimin shooed him out with a swat on the butt. Both of them were in their pajamas now, kind of just awake.

Well, in her case it was what she had on since getting back to the hotel, since she didn't really have many clothes. Jimin was sitting on the extra bed he'd claimed, facing towards her and texting his packmates. Hye-rin hadn't found anything interesting on TV, so she had decided to delve a little deeper into the world of BTS videos.

That was a little odd with one of the members sitting maybe a foot away, but she turned down the volume and switched on captions so she didn't miss anything. Before there had been no real order in which Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook showed her the music videos, and it wasn't like she minded. Taking her time, she found the older songs they had released right after debuting, and settled back against the headboard to play them. 

Hye-rin got lost in the head-bobbing, toe-tapping melodies, engrossed to the point where Jimin clearing his throat didn’t even register. It took him sitting beside her and bouncing on the bed to gain her attention.

”All done?” she asked, nodding down at his phone.  
  
“Yeah, they just wanted to make sure I remember to be careful leaving tomorrow.”

Hye-rin pressed her tongue into her cheek, nodding slowly. “If you get seen coming and going I guess that could be a problem with your fanbase.” She knew very little about the world of idols, but one thing was a given.

Scandals were to be avoided at any cost. Choonhee was more active in following the careers of K-pop groups, and through her, Hye-rin knew when a celebrity displeased their fans it could get brutal. And still, Jimin was doing all he could to help her feel less alone. “I’m sorr—”

Her intended apology was cut off by the finger pressing to her lips. “Hyerinie~” Jimin’s voice was already so melodic that when he crooned her name like that it was hypnotizing. “No more sorry’s remember?”

”It’s going to take me a while to rework my vocabulary.” Hye-rin admitted. “You might have to hear it a couple more times.”

Jimin gave her what she could best describe as a determined frown, focusing on a point on her face lower than her eyes. When he reached forward to pinch at her cheek again, Hye-rin wished she was quicker to dodge. ”I’m going to remind you not to every," he squished her cheeks together. "Single," Another squish. "Time." Two squishes.

Removing his hands, Hye-rin leaned away, not sure if he'd be tempted to do it again. "Message received, captain." 

The idol appeared satisfied with that response, sprawling out and getting comfortable. He moved his arms and legs like he was making an angel in the snow, turning his face in her direction. "Are you tired?" 

Earlier she had been, but it was more mental exhaustion as the events of the day caught up with her. The food and conversation had served as a good figurative cup of coffee as well as a balm for her shot nerves. "Not really..." 

His brown eyes twinkled approvingly. "Then let's do something fun."

The first thing he convinced her to do was help him prank call Namjoon. He took the lead in that activity, Hye-rin mostly just providing the background sound effects he asked her to on cue and trying her best to stifle her laughter.

The enda result was that the poor, bewildered Alpha on the other line was convinced Jimin had flooded out the hotel room and the bill for it was going to arrive in Namjoon's name. They literally collapsed together in a fit of giggles. 

Afterwards, Hye-rin asked Jimin to recommend a video he thought would help her get to know the group better, through their music or otherwise. It took him working through his flustered state before he explained BTS had a series of episodes about them competing in challenges or trying new things. Eager to see them, the inquisitive girl looked them up and was not disappointed.

The next hour or so was spent watching all of them goof around, Jimin sometimes burying his face in a pillow in second hand embarrassment. After the third video he begged her to watch something on TV with him, and she mercifully agreed.

Sitting against the headboard of her bed together, Hye-rin found a variety show they could both laugh at, hoping it made Jimin feel better about all the goofy stunts he and his bandmates had done on camera.

She wasn't sure how long it had been when her eyes began to feel droopy, a tell-tale yawn leaving her lips. Hye-rin hardly noticed when Jimin took the remote off her lap and lowered the TV's volume. "Are you ready to go to bed?"

Hye-rin rubbed at her eyes. "Mm...sleep does seem kind of likely at the rate I'm going." She came very close to adding in an apology for it, until she remembered the boy's words. It didn't hurt exactly, but she still would prefer not to give him a reason to pinch at her face. 

Smiling gently, Jimin shuffled off the bed, peeling back the covers on his side. "Come on," 

Hye-rin stared at the opening and thought of the inviting cocoon she could be wrapped in. It didn't take her very long to make up her mind and crawl in, finding herself tucked in snugly shortly after. "Is this okay?" he whispered.

Head pillowed on the downy blanket, she nodded. "It's fine," Jimin straightened up, looking ready to walk to the other bed.

Hye-rin sighed loudly without meaning to. He paused, shooting her a concerned look over his shoulder. "Something wrong?"

Sleep had to have made her tongue loose, because without hesitance, she told him. "This was great. It really made me feel like it was a sleepover...kind of reminded me of the ones I'd have with Choonhee in high school. We'd fall asleep together sometimes. Can't say I don't kind of miss that."

Drowsy as she was, Hye-rin could still catch sight of the idea forming in Jimin's head. He placed one knee on the mattress, so lightly it didn't even create a dip. "I could...sleep with you, if you don't mind."

Cuddling up to just any guy was not like her at all. In spite of what her parents, brother and best friend (along with an assortment of various classmates over the years) thought, she wasn't _that_ trusting.

Jimin wasn't just some guy though. Hye-rin already felt confident enough to say that, and maybe that should have scared her. It was truly how she felt. She didn't doubt the sincerity of his intentions. "Plenty of room." she responded groggily.

Convincing him didn't take much, the idol tugging the covers back once again and scrambling under them to join her. He scooted closer, Hye-rin finding herself spooned from behind as Jimin rested a light arm on her side.

"Um, if I start to wiggle too much or take up too much room on the bed sorry in advance." Jimin delivered a very light pinch to her waist, reminding her belatedly of his rule.

"Right, right. No apologies." she chuckled, which ended with a yawn. "Hm...it's kind of nice. I think I get it."

"Get what?" his breath fanned right across the back of her neck. 

"Matthew kind of...explained pack bonding to me. I'm pretty sure it was a super abridged version but still. This is the kind of thing they do at night, right?"

He began lightly smoothing his hand back and forth on her side. "Pack bonding at night could be a lot of things, Hyerinie." he teased. 

She very nearly picked her head up to stare back at him. "Touché."

"Matt-hyung wasn't wrong about this, though. It's really soothing to fall asleep touching and scenting each other."

"I've never done that," she confessed, the arm around her sliding so that Jimin's hand was touching her stomach. "I don't think so at least."

"Turn around," Curious, Hye-rin gave in to the gentle prodding, shifting in his arms. The lamp on the table and glow of the TV made it easy to see each other, Jimin's plump lips shiny in the light.

Almost made her wonder if he applied some lip gloss while she wasn't looking. His soft, warm hand took her arm and guided one over his side, then he replaced his arm over hers. "Remember earlier?"

"Yeah," she replied.

Jimin's smile was a ghost of a touch at her neck, the same place it had been when they hugged earlier. The slow bump of his nose up the column of her throat pebbled her skin into goosebumps, head light. At the same time, his hand had resumed its lazy path on her waist.

Following his lead, Hye-rin tucked her head under his chin and sniffed. She didn't expect to smell anything particularly strong. Soap for the most part. The blend of fragrances that registered with her olfactory senses were not as simple as that at all. It wasn't one she could really identify right away, but the fact of the matter was he smelt pleasant. Better than pleasant actually.

Not really having much more than instinct to go on, Hye-rin tried imitating him, her nose brushing his throat as she scented the length of it. One spot in particular appeared to be sensitive, indicated by the way his grip tightened when she touched it and a breathy gasp came out.

"That's called a scent gland, in case you didn't know." Jimin mumbled. "There's one on the inside of each wrist too, but the one on your neck is..." he sounded a little winded when he paused. "the one people usually pay attention to. You can probably tell how sensitive it is." 

Hye-rin lifted her face ever so gently from his skin. "Do I have one?"

"Everyone does." The Beta's fingers ghosted to a point on the side of her neck and under her ear. Hye-rin felt her body melting right then and there with just a stroke of his fingertips. "It's right here."

She enjoyed the ministrations as he dipped his face back into the juncture of her shoulder, the way she felt so weightless and lax now. Sleep should be just over the horizon. Wanting to reciprocate, she sluggishly dragged her nose across his neck again, trying to avoid the scent gland in case that was a step too far.

Such a sensitive spot on a person's body wasn't meant for just anyone to touch freely. Warm, giddy, honestly a little drunk on his scent, Hye-rin could feel her eyes fluttering shut. The day had taken so much out of her, but to end up here snuggled down in Jimin's arms wasn't the worst way it could have ended. 

* * *

Hye-rin's eyes shot open at exactly six in the morning, according to the glaring red numbers of the hotel-provided alarm clock. It took another half hour of tossing and turning before she realized there was no going back to sleep. She got up, wandering out to the balcony to watch the first touch of sunlight cast Sokcho City in a dreamy glow. The air was still cool when she sucked in a deep breath, drumming her fingers against the railing. Today was the day. 

Heart fluttering, she headed back inside with a goal firmly in mind. First, she brushed her teeth methodically, because there was no use starting off the day with bad breath. After Hye-rin was satisfied with the wintery freshness of her mouth, she hopped in the shower, so preoccupied she almost scalded herself. Shower time was thinking time, and overthinking was her specialty.

If it ever became an Olympic sport, she was certain she'd be headed off to the Games. There were so many emotions warring for dominance inside of her. Anticipation was one of the strongest, but then, so was stark cold fear. 

In the blink of an eye, it had been days since the incident in the park. Hye-rin kept in touch with the boys every day. Jimin refused to let her wallow by herself, and somehow rallied the others into his crusade to check in with her daily. If it wasn't a text or a video call, it was an in person visit. She also heard from Matthew, Jiwoo, Somin and J.Seph not long after they got word of what happened from Namjoon.

Hye-rin felt guilty that she'd missed Matthew's call when he landed, but when she tried to video call back the next day and explain how crazy things had been, the whole pack of four was there. There was a bombardment of questions and a lot of confusion for the first ten minutes.

They all kept stealing the phone from Matthew, who got so fed up he put Jiwoo in a headlock the third time she did it. It was with a lot of reassurance that she was doing better and near begging that Hye-rin convinced them _not_ to get on the next flight back to Sokcho. 

The attention was pretty flattering. Choonhee would normally be that solid rock for her when she was in need of support. In her friend's absence, Jimin was ready and willing to fill the role. She worried at first. Worried he was doing it out of a sense of obligation and guilt and that she was burdening him and the others.

Hye-rin wasn't the best at playing it cool, and it didn't take long for the Beta to pick up on her 'hidden' thoughts. He gave firm reassurances that they wanted to help her, that they were there if she needed anything. In the end, she not only came to accept their check ins, but anticipate them. They didn't always tell her who it'd be, and guessing was kind of fun, even when she was wrong. 

The day after Jimin spent the night, Namjoon called. He was nothing but kind as he asked how she was doing, promising that if she had any problems, they could try and help. Considering they were idols on vacation she had only known a little over a week, it was surreal to say the least. Underneath that gentleness there was an underlying firmness to his tone.

He was serious about what he said, and she understood that. But furthermore, he insisted very plainly that if she needed to go anywhere, anywhere at all, she only had to text one of them and he would meet her there. There hadn't been many instances where she left her room for long periods since the call, but nevertheless Hye-rin acquiesced. She was never without an escort, normally one of the maknae line.

Namjoon came himself once, following her at a slight distance in disguise as she made a food run. Hye-rin told herself she couldn't let what happened keep her from ever leaving the indoors again. Although, the girl would be lying if she said that when people coincidentally were going the same direction as her on the street for more than a block, she didn’t get nervous. Sudden motion behind her when her back was turned made her jumpy too. She hated it.

It would take longer than a few days to get over nearly being abducted, as it turned out. In the meantime, she graciously leaned on the company of the Bangtan pack. One day it was Jungkook who came by, another day Hoseok.

The older man surprised her since she hadn't seen him since that day. The maknae line told her a little about each of their hyungs. She was inclined to believe they had no reason to lie to her. When they said Hoseok (or Hobi as they called him) was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, they weren't kidding.

There was so much energy packed into one person, and it was kind of contagious. Hye-rin could tell he was cautious of being too boisterous with her, but the natural brightness he exuded still cheered her up. The day he popped over, Hye-rin had just ordered lunch. Feeling bad about not having anything for him, she offered him some of her meal. Hoseok waved her off, telling her to enjoy.

The issue was that she had underestimated the size of the burger that got delivered. It was thick and juicy, making Hye-rin's stomach groan eagerly.

The pain in her wrist hadn't yet gone away, and it was clearly a two handed job. Hoseok sat nearby, scrolling on his phone, and she attempted to eat without making a mess using one hand. Shakily getting half to her mouth, she took a bite and found it to be as amazing as it looked.

Starting to get confident that she could do it was her first mistake. Her single hand grew tired, and she smeared sauce in the corner of her mouth. Readjusting her grip with a grunt, she tried again. The sound of clapping and cheering made Hye-rin jump, and the burger nearly fell again. "Eat, eat, eat!" Hoseok giggled, having put his phone down.

Hye-rin flushed, setting down the burger. "Were you watching that? I'm eating like an arthritic raccoon." 

Hoseok laughed hard, clapping his hands and rocking back and forth. The sight had her trying to hold in a couple of snorts, until she let loose and joined him. Of all the dilemmas that came with only using one hand to do everything, this one was kind of humorous. After the idol had calmed his laughing attack, he moved to the seat beside hers at the counter. "Let me?" It was pretty obvious what he wanted when he picked up the food, still in its wrapping, and raised it to her mouth.

She'd never been fed by a guy, always figuring it was something intimate couples did. But Hoseok was smiling encouragingly, no judgment at all in his eyes. Hye-rin leaned in and took a careful bite. The burger was still at mouth-level when she swallowed the first, so she took another and Hoseok's smile only widened. "So cute," he cooed, nearly causing her to choke. There was no way anything about her was cute right now. 

The Alpha reached over and snagged her juice with his free hand, tilting the straw at her lips. Hye-rin held her hand out for the cup, intending to hold it herself, but Hoseok moved it away with a shake of his head.

"Drink," She felt her heart skip a beat. It was probably her imagination that his voice had dropped, right? Glancing between the drink and his patient smile, Hye-rin decided to go with it. He was already feeding her.

The juice really hit the spot, and after she'd gotten enough to quench her thirst, Hoseok went right back to feeding her the burger. Some of the bites still missed her mouth, but it wasn't entirely her fault when he was the one who kept unexpectedly making funny voices.

Hye-rin wanted to tell him to stop before she choked again, but it was hard when all that came out were peels of laughter. Hoseok pretended to be the burger, screaming for mercy as she ate it, and for some reason it got funnier every time. "You're killing me, dude."

Realizing her mouth must be a mess, Hye-rin searched for a napkin. Not seeing one, she pushed her chair back to stand up and look elsewhere. The thumb that wiped at her mouth several times caught her completely off guard, Hoseok cleaning her face with total concentration. 

"All done!" he announced, sucking his fingers clean. Hye-rin swore her soul left her body, and she wasn't ashamed to say she made a not-so-brave retreat around the counter. The fridge was the first thing her round eyes found, and she almost pulled her arm from its socket pulling it open and shoving her head deep in it to appear preoccupied.

Lifting her good hand, she smacked her face several times, allowing the chilled air to cool her off. She refused to come out, despite the tapping to both her shoulders. Hoseok gave up on that approach and opened the door wider, dangling some of the napkins in her line of sight. "I figured they wouldn't be in there." he teased. 

Hye-rin thought the wheezing breath she made as she reached for them sounded like the asthmatic kid in gym class desperately in need of an inhaler. Wiping her face free of any remaining sauce or grease, she eyed the sunny brunette. "Appreciated." 

The next day, Jin was the one who came over with sushi and an arsenal of jokes. Having him there was kind of like having one of the best stay-ins with a good friend after a bad breakup. They watched a marathon of dramas, ate, and swapped jokes that might have made just about anyone else cringe. Hye-rin personally thought he was funny, despite him telling her that most of his packmates thought his best puns were lame. 

"They've got to be jealous," she winked. "I'm sure you're a laugh a minute." 

Jin beamed, eager to share his entire stand up routine after that. 

"No, no..." she laughed over her own joke before she could even get it out. "I bet you haven't heard this one." Hye-rin pointed at him from across the couch, and the singer was all ears. "But I've been looking at pictures of your comebacks over the years, and damn! All of you could go on top of salad, because you be dressing!" Jin threw his head back and whooped, so taken in by her comedic genius that he actually fell off the couch.

The days passed pretty quickly from there. Hye-rin couldn't get over how supportive everyone was being. She got calls and texts from her friends in Seoul every day, and Bangtan's in-person antics and entertainment. But, all the fun had to end sooner or later, and today was apparently that day.

Hence why sleep eluded her. She paced around her room in a towel, trying to decide what to wear from her very limited wardrobe. _'I should look for a job again. I need more clothes than four outfits.'_ Hye-rin sighed.

It wouldn't be the first time she had to make do. Surveying what limited options she had to work with, Hye-rin settled on a pair of loose cargo pants that came with a woven belt. Rifling through her shirt selections, one tucked in neatly at the bottom caught her attention. She unfolded it to hold out, cocking her head. "Huh. When did I buy this?"

The gray t-shirt had baby blue sleeves, and seven very cute characters that looked vaguely familiar. BT21 was on the back in large white block letters. Considering that someone snuck it in, Hye-rin nevertheless decided to take it as a gift.

If it turned out it wasn't meant for her, she'd wash it and return it to its rightful owner. Fully dressed, she was just slipping on some socks when her phone vibrated across the bedside table.

It was a little early for her daily check-in, but maybe someone couldn't sleep just like her. A fond smile already worming its way onto her face, Hye-rin picked up the phone to take a look. Only to be befuddled by the fact that it was a number she didn't recognize and hadn't saved. Opening the text gave her such a shock her hand flew to her chest. 

**Unknown** : _This is Yoongi. Are you awake?_

Yes, yes she definitely was. Now more than ever. 

Her thumb hovered over the keypad, until she decided she was being ridiculous. It was one guy. What was there to be so nervous about? Sure, he had bitten her head off, and as a result she couldn't help but find him intimidating. But Hye-rin reasoned she could at least see what he wanted. 

"Yes." she typed. Short, simple, clear.

 **Unknown** : _Can we talk?_

Hye-rin bit her lip, about to respond until she noticed the gray typing box indicating another incoming message. 

**Unknown** : _In person?_

She couldn't help but think longer over how to respond. Of all the members of Bangtan, Yoongi was the one that never came, called or texted. It was pretty plain in her eyes that he wanted nothing to do with her.

Not that she was holding any grudges over it. He had every right to choose who to and not to associate with, and just because his pack hung around someone, didn't mean he had to as well. This sudden, out of the blue interest in meeting up wasn't at all what she woke up expecting.

It got her thinking. All the others were amazing, so down to earth and genuine. There was a possibility she was speaking on things she knew nothing about, but Hye-rin was a firm believer that people attracted the kind of energy they put off.

For six of them to be kind and one of them to be aggressive all the time seemed unlikely. Everyone was entitled to their off days, and maybe Yoongi was having one at the park. This could be him, wanting to bury the hatchet. 

"Okay." she told herself. Blushing, Hye-rin smacked herself in the forehead over the fact that he was waiting on a _text_ to confirm. Making sure she sent one, the girl was just reaching for her shoes when Yoongi's reply came in. 

_"Be there in two hours."_

Slowly setting her phone down, she had to assume that meant he'd be coming over. The sun was still barely out and Hye-rin had two hours to kill now. ~~Or two hours that were going to kill her, depending on how she looked at it.~~ What to do, what to do? The first idea that came to mind was going on a short walk for some fresh air and to dispel the nerves.

Rationality won over and vetoed that, however. It wasn't far-fetched for her to get a video call from one of the boys as soon as they woke up. Usually Taehyung, Jimin or both.

The others sometimes even made special guest appearances, giving her sleepy waves from the background depending on if they had stayed the night in someone else's room. Their bed head and rumpled clothes was as cute as the cuddling. What wouldn't be cute is the way her friends would freak out if they called and noticed her somewhere outside without them. 

Some people might find it annoying or overprotective or smothering. Hye-rin, on the other hand, still sometimes felt like she relied on them too much. It had only been a couple of days since they started to tag along, but she couldn't have them as escorts for the rest of her life and she knew that.

At some point she had to brave the outside world again without anyone holding her hand. But...she also just felt like she wasn't ready, and if the boys didn't mind, Hye-rin wasn't going to try to convince them to back off yet.

To be on the safe side, Hye-rin decided to limit her morning activities to what she could do without living the hotel. Breakfast. She had enough money to order a light breakfast. While she waited on that she found a news program and listened to what the day's weather was supposed to bring.

Not an exciting morning, but with her impending talk with Yoongi and her brother scheduled to touch down back home today, Hye-rin had reason to believe the rest of the day would be more than eventful enough to make up for it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it too early to start thinking of ship names? I'm not that good at coming up with ones that incorporate the names of OCs unless it's something obvious, so if anyone has suggestions please let me know.  
> 😆  
> There was lots of fluff in this. I watched some soft BTS videos so I needed to share the warm and fuzzies.  
> I wanted so, so, soooo much to reveal how the reunion between our heroine and her brother would go down. This chapter once again deviated from the planned outline.  
> Or, more accurately I got so caught up in writing her interactions with the boys that those parts made the whole thing lengthy. I want to spend a considerable amount of time doing the reunion scene and explaining some things while I'm at it. I didn't want to rush that. Also gonna save the talk between her and Yoongi for next time too. lol 
> 
> Also, to the readers who were worried or saddened by KARD’s exit, don’t get too down. They’re main characters too so I’m not going to just cut them off abruptly.
> 
> What does everyone think about Hye-rin finally getting those snuggles? Any predictions on what all will happen next time around? Drop a line and let me know~😋💜


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoongi wanting an audience is only the start of Hye-rin’s day. The reunion she’s been waiting for and secretly dreading shocks her more than anything has so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled a little with this chapter for some reason so please let me know if you liked it, thanks! ☺️💜 
> 
> TW: panic attack, mentions of death

Yoongi had told her two hours, so he made sure to arrive at her hotel room at precisely the right time. The maknae line had reluctantly given up the room number, but with very weighted glares and warnings not to let his temper get the better of him. 

Honestly, he was surprised no one had tried to tail him there. They had all taken a particular liking to this random girl. When one of them came back from visiting her, perfumed in her scent, the others all but attacked to get whiffs. They yelled at a surprised Namjoon the one time he met her while she was out shopping, because he never came in close enough contact for her scent to transfer.

In barely over a week they had been reduced to a bunch of dorky fanboys, and for the life of him, Yoongi couldn't say he understood. It couldn't be just because she was an Omega. They had encountered plenty, and none of them ever had this sort of effect on the pack. He heard the sound of the lock disengaging soon after he'd knocked, and the door opened enough to reveal Hye-rin's face close behind it. 

Her wide eyes were a little apprehensive, something he didn't blame her for, but they were also alight with curiosity. Yoongi shoved both hands into his pockets and cleared his throat. "Did you even check to see who was there before you opened the door?"

Her lips drew into a shallow frown, and it drew attention to their shape and fullness. "I knew you were coming, so..." she shuffled and the door slid further open. "You should probably come in." 

Yoongi took one step through the door after she moved and caught sight of Hye-rin's t-shirt. She said she wasn't familiar with BTS with complete earnestness. Yet she was wearing their merch. A quiet voice in his head reminded him that with how much time the others insisted on spending around her, it wasn't too far fetched to assume one of them had given it to her. After all, they _were_ behaving like fanboys.

Yoongi shut the door behind him, and Hye-rin tried to subtly wipe her palms down the sides of her legs, biting her lip just once and then releasing it. She was watching him like she expected him to speak first, but when he stared right back at her intently, the girl fumbled forward. "You...want anything to drink?" 

The rapper could just kick himself. He'd come with every intention of setting things straight regarding what happened between them. Now here he was, and he still couldn't prevent how awkwardly it was starting out. How hard was it for him to just be straightforward? That was a trait Yoongi always prided himself on. "I'm fine," he told her. Finding himself a seat on one of the chairs in the room, he removed his hood and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm pretty sure you already can guess why I'm here." Hye-rin didn't break eye contact as she lowered herself down onto one of the beds. "Or maybe you can't." he mumbled, reading the uncertainty on her face. "I know most of the other members have been showing up a lot lately."

"Just about every day, in one way or another." she chuckled.

Yoongi wondered if she realized how much any of their fans would pay to trade places with her, to have BTS become casual fixtures in their lives. It wasn't that he felt she should be acting like a grateful fan. He suspected part of what appealed to his packmates was the chance to be regular young men around her. It was more so that her demeanor was so easygoing it was strange. So many people wanted something from them...

His fingers drummed lightly on the arm of the chair, a small nervous tic. "It must be annoying to not have your space." 

"Actually, I don't really mind." she shrugged. "The guys are nice, and being 'one of the boys' isn't new. I've been a tomboy all my life." The Omega explained. "I thought..." she hesitated. Yoongi arched a brow, waiting for her to continue. "I thought that's what you wanted to talk about. I know I've kind of barged in lately. I'm not trying to stick my nose in or make anyone feel uncomfortable."

"You think I'm threatened enough to tell you to stop seeing the boys?" Yoongi scoffed. Why did everyone think he was _that_ insecure? "They're adults. They can make their own decisions. As long as you don't hurt them, I have nothing to say about it at this point."

Hye-rin straightened, her eyes bulging in a way that made her shock evident. "Oh," her breathing looked less tense, " _Oh_." she repeated on a small laugh. "That's good to hear, but if it's not that then I'm not sure what you wanted to talk about..."

Yoongi decided to spit it out fast. "I wanted to...say that the way I talked to you was out of line. That wasn't your fault." Feeling shy, he rubbed a hand down his face. "I'm sorry."

Hye-rin didn't react right away, instead wringing her hands and leaning back. "Today's full of surprises..." she whispered.

Taking a little offense, the white-haired man glared. "What?"

"No, no," Hye-rin mumbled, looking as if all his shyness from moments ago had transferred straight to her. "I just realized how dumb I was to follow a complete stranger with a pretty obvious story like that. So what you said...might not have been totally wrong."

"It was wrong," he insisted. "The way I handled it was wrong." 

Instead of trying to deflect or disagree again, she sat in silence, her head flopping to the side until it was almost on her shoulder. Her lips pursed then flattened, and after a short nod, Hye-rin rubbed at her neck the way Taehyung did when he was bashful. "I think your apology was sincere enough for us to put this behind us." She stood up, walking directly over to him. Yoongi was confused and then a little amused when she offered her hand with a flourish.

"You think I need help getting up?" he teased. 

Hye-rin blinked, her mouth opening as if to disagree. He shook her hand before she could retract it, and a slow laugh bubbled out, her cheeks tinting pink. Just as they released the other's hand, the man got up, checking the time on his phone. "I should get going. I guess we'll see you later."

"L-later?" she stuttered.

"Aren't you going to see your brother today?" With how desperately she had been trying to reach him, Yoongi would have expected her to have met him at the airport when he landed.

Something passed across her face, but whatever it was, Hye-rin tucked away quickly. "Yeah! Sorry, I was so ready for him to be back I didn't sleep much last night. I'm just a little..." she suppressed a yawn behind her hand. "Tired."

While the Alpha didn't need his sensitive nose to smell something was off, Yoongi also didn't feel like he knew her well enough to pry. The meeting about the collaboration would be soon, and if something was really wrong, she'd probably inform one of the others. That was the reasoning that got his grumbling Alpha, who was suddenly keenly interested in her emotional state, to stop prodding him. He left the hotel with a small headache and a dollop of confusion aimed at his tight-lipped Alpha. 

* * *

Hye-rin ran both hand through her hair and paced in the limited space of her room as soon as Yoongi was gone. It was really only after bumping her knee on the coffee table the fifth lap around that she paused to consider if she was really using the time productively. Somehow, in the midst of everything else, she'd neglected something very important.

Using the number Namjoon gave her. Days had slipped by, and now the one person that might be able to set her world straight or upend it forever was within reach. And _she hadn't reached out_. There was only one person she could think of who might get some of what she was going through, because there was only one person Hye-rin had bothered sharing the full extent of her ridiculous theory with. 

Rushing over to where she'd left her phone at the expense of yet another banged knee for her haste, she scooped up the cell in clumsy hands and scrolled to find the right contact, impatient the whole time. Like the angel he was, Jimin answered after two rings. 

" _Hyerinie?_ " his sweet voice was an instant balm to her frayed nerves. " _What's wrong? Was Yoongi-hyung mean again?_ " 

"Huh?" Feeling like an idiot for already forgetting the events of not even ten minutes ago, she rubbed her forehead. "Oh no, he just left. And he was cool. Just wanted to clear the air." Turning to face the drawn curtains in front of the glass doors of the balcony, Hye-rin noted it was most definitely late morning, approaching early afternoon. The day was bright, beautiful, and she was inside swimming in dread. "It's just...you know how Namjoon went through all the trouble of getting Moon Yeongsu's number?"

" _You mean your brother_ ," he corrected, bemusement beginning to tinge his tone.

"Well," Hye-rin wrapped a strand of hair tight around her finger and sat down. "What if he's not, Jimin?" Despite her best efforts, the boy's name came out tellingly cracked. She could just imagine the worried face he was making. "Everywhere else I've tried treats me like I never existed. I wouldn't really know how to brush it off if he said he didn't have a sister or something." Hye-rin wrapped her free arm, still in its brace, around her stomach in a weak attempt to self-soothe.

" _You could come to the meeting with us,_ " Jimin suggested. " _Whatever happens, you won't have to face it alone._ " 

It was a sweet offer, and a very tempting one on top of that. There was only the small matter that if her fears were proved correct, there'd be more people around to witness the fallout. "Your hyung's going to take back his apology if Yeongsu doesn't know me." Hye-rin joked feebly.   
  
“ _Please?_ ” The boy would not be deterred and that built up some of her own resolve. Jimin knew she’d be kicking herself later one way or another if she didn’t at least _try_.   
  
“Alright, okay. I’m in.” As soon as she accepted, Hye-rin swore she heard a second jubilant whoop in the background. “Am I on speaker right now?”

” _N-no_?”

It wasn’t just that Jimin sounded far from convincing but also that she just had a hunch he wasn’t by himself. It was hard to tell exactly which boy was with him, but it couldn’t be Yoongi so she took a stab in the dark. ”Hi, Jungkook,” 

“ _Hi, noo—_ ” The maknae made a sound like someone had elbowed him. 

” _He just came in_!” Her flustered friend squeaked.

Their usual antics only made her grin harder. “See you boys later. I’ll grab a taxi and meet you there,” 

“ _No, we can pick you u—_ ”

”Just text me the address and I’ll be all set. Okay, see ya.” Hye-rin was quick to hang up, predicting what Jimin’s initial response would be. She was more than appreciative of all he and everyone else had done, but at some point she had to reclaim her independence. And, as far as she was concerned that started today.

* * *

Hye-rin didn't know why she got clumsier when she was nervous, but it was a real curse. After getting the directions, she bumped her knee twice more, and almost slammed her finger in the door while leaving her room. She also almost got the edge of her shirt caught in the Uber's door when she climbed out.

All things considered it was miraculous she had made it to the building in one piece, relatively unscathed. _And what a building it was_. Even craning her head all the way back, Hye-rin still wasn't sure she could see the top. Who would have thought Yeongsu, her brother, worked in a fancy location?

He always seemed so content practicing in small locations, it was a little strange. A group of three coming out of the building tossed her a look as they walked by. Hye-rin smoothed a hand down her shirt. She hadn't changed it. She didn't have many other options to go with, and besides that, she wasn't going into a board meeting or anything. Plus, what was wrong with liking what she had on? The cute characters had grown on her, whoever they were. 

Taking one more second to pat her own back for encouragement, Hye-rin shouldered inside, finding a very sleek, modern lobby of gray and white. People shuffling by didn't really spare her too much time, something she was a little glad for.

Unsure what else to do, the girl beelined for the receptionist desk. A middle-aged woman in a crisply pressed pants suit sat typing away and speaking into a wireless headset. Unwilling to interrupt, Hye-rin rocked back and forth on her heels, just waiting to be acknowledged.

It took another eight minutes and thirty five seconds (but who was counting??) before the receptionist so much as spared her a glance. Arching a brow, her slim fingers finally stopped their movement on the keyboard. "Yes, appointment?" 

The short, all-business tone was exactly what Hye-rin expected. Despite rehearsing her words so carefully on the ride over, they all felt like thick paste on her tongue. "I...I'm here to greet...I mean meet with Moon Yeong Su."

The neutral expression on the woman's face didn't shift at all. She didn't bother typing anything or making a call. All it took was a passing glimpse at her smart watch. "I'm sorry, but there must be a mistake. I don't need to check his schedule in the system to know he's about ten minutes away from a very important meeting."

 _'Let me guess,'_ she thought. _'A pretty well known boyband that goes by BTS?'_

"I...I know," Hye-rin nodded, fighting to control her stutter. "I'm supposed to be in the meeting too?" It probably didn't help her case that she sounded so unsure. It just felt like she was lying, even though Jimin had coaxed her into doing this and assured her it would be fine. 

The woman leaned forward, and the golden nametag pinned to her chest caught the light. "Kang Jae Mi" it read. 

"Would you mind showing me your company ID? I didn't get word of any additional staff from Big Hit joining the meeting."

"Uh, I don't work for Big Hit." Hye-rin felt like people were starting to stare. It could have been her imagination, but her face was getting hot all the same. Ms. Kang's facial expression did change, becoming flinty in a second. Rushing, the panicking girl went on, "I'm Moon Hye-rin. I'm--"

"She's expected upstairs," Hye-rin must have jumped a foot at the unfamiliar male voice that spoke up from behind her. For some reason, it shocked her even more that he was young, appearing only a few years older. The stranger was tall, wearing a dress shirt and black slacks, his dark hair combed professionally. He showed a lanyard around his neck to Ms. Kang. "I'll guide her there now."

Ms. Kang took a closer look at his credentials and seemed satisfied. "Please be sure to inform reception of last minute additions next time to avoid confusion." she said. Hye-rin glanced over at her mysterious savior, wondering if he also got the feeling they were being dismissed.

Motioning for her to follow, the Big Hit staff member backed away from the desk area, walking slowly for the elevators. "You must be the boys' new friend, Hye-rin. I'm one of their bodyguards. My name is Doyoon." 

Hye-rin relaxed, "Nice meeting you. Thanks for the assist." She tried keeping up with his long-legged strides. "How'd you know it was me, though? General physical description?"

"Something like that," Doyoon stopped in front of the elevators with a wry quirk of his lips. "The boys told me to look for a girl that would probably be fumbling her way to explain herself. I take it that's something you do often?"

Hye-rin blushed, a sense of betrayal settling heavily over her shoulders. _'Way to expose me guys.'_

"Not...not really." she replied. Doyoon pushed the button and let her enter the elevator first. "Alright...sometimes."

After they had both boarded and the bodyguard pressed the correct floor, he pulled out a phone and began to text. Hye-rin watched, still struck by how young the guy was. "So uh...I hope it's not too invasive but what made you want to be a bodyguard? You're pretty young."

Doyoon glimpsed over at her, "Well, I'm the youngest member of their security team right now actually. As for my reasons, my older sister was in training to become an idol. She gave it up because there was an incident with a fan shortly after she debuted that made her feel like it was too much." He cracked his neck.

Hye-rin hummed in understanding, tapping the side of the gleaming silver box as they slowly ascended. She didn't expect much more conversation out of Doyoon, who didn't appear one for idle conversation. Hearing his voice cut through the quiet startled a yelp out of her.

"Sorry," If she didn't know better, she'd think his dark eyes were boring literal holes through her. "This is rare. The boys haven't gone this far out of their way to make a friend since I've been working for them. And my seniors on the team don't recall this happening before either. It makes me curious just what kind of girl you are."

Hye-rin was at a loss for words. No sound came out of her clogged throat until the ding of the doors opening drew both of their attention. Doyoon once again let her go first. She didn't know if he was just that polite or refused to have her behind him. "It might sound kind of...cliché but I'm really just being myself."

"Hm, you must be an interesting person then." Doyoon said, and Hye-rin did her best to remain close to him as they walked down the fairly busy hallway. Lots of people were hustling from one room to another, the workday was definitely in full swing for them. 

"Hardly..." Hye-rin said quietly. The most interesting thing about her was the fact that she felt like she was sucked into a movie world, and that wasn't something that felt like a good idea to share. Once they had rounded the corner, the noise died down, and there were fewer offices. The girl looked up from following the repeating pattern of the carpeted floors.

Doyoon stopped in front of the last door before a dead end and knocked quickly. Hye-rin stood far enough behind him so as to practically be leaning against the opposite wall. Her heart slowed to a crawl when someone opened the door, "You must be the additional staff the boys said were coming." That voice!

Hye-rin couldn't describe what came over her suddenly. She had wanted to hear it, and now that she was, it was hard to catch her breath. Pushing off the wall, the Omega followed her first instinct and bolted. She thought Doyoon might have said something to her, but she was well past listening. Not having a clue where she was going, Hye-rin dodged around a startled man that came out of what looked like a break room. She dove into it, ignoring the gasps of the two women inside who were talking by a water cooler. 

Her head was so full of chaos that it was all she could do to slide down the wall and curl up into a ball. Hye-rin didn't care about the whispers. In fact she hardly heard them. Her ears might as well have been stuffed with cotton for all the white noise and crackling that blocked out everything else. In an attempt to stop it, she placed her hands over her head and groaned. Her stomach was so unsettled, it was cramping up in knots, and all the blood rushing around in her veins was icy. Breathing was hard, quick and shallow. 

All the while, the image behind her closed eyelids played on a loop, and her tremors increased. Yeong Su suddenly scowling at her and declaring he had never seen her before in his life. If that happened...if that happened-- Hye-rin choked on a sharp inhale, which sent her into a coughing fit. Clutching a hand to her throat, she hazily began to wonder if it was going to end like this. Did it matter if it did anymore?

The first moment she registered a touch that wasn't her own on the hand at her throat made her eyes crack open. Someone was there, crouching over her. The park burst into her mind and her eyes widened as she scrambled back against the wall.

The person was probably taller than her, even squatting, because her eyes focused on their lips and chin. They were speaking to her, and Hye-rin was too confused by the lack of sound coming out to care much when they successfully tugged her hand away from her throat. A large, gentle hand took hers and squeezed a little.

Then, a second hand wedged itself behind her, pulling her away from the wall a little. It stroked the length of her back, and the crackling in Hye-rin's head wasn't as loud. She could even almost hear someone murmuring sweetly to her, and her heart gradually slowed at the sound. Then, there was that clean, wonderful smell. So close. Peaches, spiced pears and...something else light and refreshing. 

"Take a breath." The voice urged. Hye-rin had no problems obeying when it meant she also got to take in more of that relaxing scent. "Let it out," She was a little more reluctant to do so, but complied, just to get another hit of the scent that was drugging her back to sanity. They found a rhythm, the hand on her back migrating itself to her head to continue the gentle pressure there. "Good girl," 

A spark of giddiness came at the praise, and Hye-rin was able to look her rescuer in the eyes. "J-Jin?"

His beautiful face was so close, and--Great, it was hard to breathe for a reason completely unrelated to a panic attack. The singer didn't seem to notice as he gave her a mellow smile. "Hm?" 

"W-What are you doing here?" she croaked, embarrassed by how rough her voice sounded. 

"Hold on," Seokjin got up, and the loss made her eyes widen. Was he leaving already. But before she could out herself for being as emotionally needy as she currently was, Hye-rin took the time to notice he was only going to fill a small cup at the water cooler. He came back with it in a few short steps thanks to his long legs, offering it to her. She stared down into the clear liquid and accepted. The cool drink was gone in three quick gulps. "Is that better?" 

Hye-rin massaged her throat, "Yeah, I think so. Thanks."

"Good. We were all worried when you ran away. Half the boys wanted to come chase you down, but I thought that might be too overwhelming." he explained.

It all suddenly came rushing back in a wave of dizziness. She was supposed to be joining the Bangtan boys, who were meeting with Yeong Su about a future collaboration, and she got so nervous when she heard her brother's voice it sent her into a panic attack. "Good call," she whispered. "And, sorry about...that back there."

Hye-rin was glad she had finished drinking, because she might have snorted water from her nose when Seokjin pinched it playfully. "Don't apologize for that. All of us have had to deal with pressure and anxiety. We understand."

Hye-rin rubbed a hand down her face. 

"Do you want to tell me what made you react that way?" Jin wasn't being demanding, or accusatory. Something urged her to explain a little bit. Jimin had been understanding. Jin could be too.

"I was...scared. I heard Yeong Su's voice and started thinking maybe he wouldn't want to see me." she confessed.

Jin took a moment before responding. "He doesn't know you're here?" 

Hye-rin glumly shook her head. "I don't think so."

"No one's going to get upset if a sister as sweet as you visits. Come on," Hye-rin still wasn't so sure, but Jin had been so kind to her, she wanted to trust him. Allowing him to help pull her up, half of her was expecting him to let go.

The other part of her was very glad he didn't. They walked out into the hallway hand in hand, Jin occasionally checking to be sure she was alright. Hye-rin would answer with a thumbs up every time they met eyes. People in the hallways gave them a wide berth, and she suspected it was because of the scene she made running through them. 

Before she could get too deep into her head over the potential damage it had caused, Jin stopped in front of the same door she hadn't been able to bring herself to walk through.

Hye-rin gently detached her hand from his as her nonverbal cue that she was ready. Seokjin took the lead, knocking on the door and then opening it. _'Off like a band-aid.'_ Hye-rin shakily followed after, at first not really seeing anyone from behind Jin's impossibly wide shoulders. Shifting to the side revealed about what she had expected. The other six members of BTS, Doyoon and...

"Everything okay, man?" Yeong Su walked closer and Hye-rin instinctively reached out to clutch Jin's arm for balance.

"Sorry about the delay. Everything's fine now," Jin told the room.

Some of the boys gave her 'discreet', excited grins. As badly as she wished she could return them, her focus was mainly on the tall man who went by Moon Yeong Su. There were some...noticeable differences from the Yeong Su she had last seen. His hair was dark, curly and full, not trimmed a few inches short of a buzz. Her brother always sported a buzz in the summer. At least his style was the same.

An open flannel paired with a black undershirt and a necklace similar to the ones he liked to wear made of materials from the beach. He even had his ears pierced like her Yeong Su. The tattoos visible on his forearms and the side of his neck were a new addition, though. For someone that was probably suffering from jet lag right now, he looked good. Clean and focused. 

She wanted to run right into brother's arms for a hug. After all, they were never siblings that shied away from being affectionate. They didn't fight over things like sharing toys as kids, and when Yeong Su had to watch her, he always made it clear to his friends that whoever didn't like his little sister hanging around didn't have to come. Her father always said Hye-rin took her first steps in order to reach her brother's side.

The two biggest fights they'd ever had were in the last handful of years. 

Yeong Su once found out Hye-rin hid the fact that a guy she had been seeing was rough with her when she wanted to leave a party early. No amount of reassurances that Hye-rin had throat chopped him and Choonhee dumped her drink down his shirt calmed him. Needless to say the relationship was short-lived. Especially when her ex practically fled after seeing her the next week (sporting a lumpy and badly bruised face).

The other time was when a relative from their mother's side had criticized him strongly for "lacking discipline" and told him pursuing music wasn't doing anything productive with his life. When Hye-rin found him sitting in his darkened room and searching up college programs she knew he had zero interest in, he admitted he was thinking of growing "more serious" about his future. They had fought over it, until she cried on his shoulder and begged him not to stop playing music. Never, ever had she feared her brother or that he would turn her away. Not until now. And she really hated it.

The music producer that was supposedly her older brother was staring directly at her, eyes eerily focused and mouth thin. "Who...are you? Who is this?" Hye-rin was positive the sound of her heart shattering on the floor like glass was audible.

"She's your sister, Moon Hye-rin." Namjoon responded, sounding highly perplexed and a little alarmed.

"My sister," Yeong Su's eyes grew dewy. "H-how do you know about my sister?"

"She's standing right in front of us." Yoongi pointed out.

Her brother ruffled a hand through his hair, blowing out a deep breath that puffed out his cheeks. "Uh, could you excuse us for a second, guys?" 

Namjoon's answering expression of incredulity might have been funny, if not for the abrupt solemnity that was shrouding them. "Sure," he began to usher everyone out with help from Doyoon. Hye-rin watched them go, silently wishing they could have stayed. The room kind of swallowed up all the air with their departure. But, she was _not_ going to lose it again.

The door was barely shut before Yeong Su took her by the arms and spun her around to face him. "Moon Hye-rin," he leaned in close, specifically hovering near the spot Jimin explained about. Her scent gland. "You can't be Hye-rin. Not my Hye-rin," The Omega wasn't sure she liked the frantic desperation in his voice. Like a man that had been deprived light for years getting his first glimpse of sunrise. "But you smell just like her."

Hye-rin had no idea what he meant, or why he sounded as if he understood the scenting stuff she had only recently learned about. It should be as alien to him as it was to her. The way his arms wound around her to crush her body into his chest didn't give her much time to ask questions. It was all she could do to wiggle her arms free and embrace him back. They began to rock back in forth, the sound of sniffling coming from above her.

" _ **Oh my God.**_ " He sounded so much like their father when he spoke in Portuguese. " _ **This has to be some kind of miracle.**_ " 

Hye-rin rubbed his back, head settling on his chest since his shoulder was too high. " _ **I know what you mean.**_ " It had maybe only been three weeks since she had last hung out with her brother. They went surfing in the morning and ate burgers on the pier together for lunch. With everything crazy that happened since then, it felt more like months ago, if not a solid year. Either way, she was so happy to have him back. And he recognized her.

"I just..." he sniffled, pulling back to take her in. "I can't believe you're really right in front of me. You're so grown up and pretty." He sighed, awed. 

"I don't think I did a lot of growing in three weeks." Hye-rin joked, though her own eyes were watery. She always had been someone prone to tears when others around her got emotional.

"Three...weeks?" Yeong Su shook his head. "No, no it's been twenty-one years." Hye-rin gaped as he broke down all over again. "I'm s-sorry..." he whimpered. "I'm so sorry..." The girl would have loved nothing more than to tell her brother he was taking his joke too far, but she was too stuck on the ' _it's been twenty-one years part_ '.

"Yeong Su..." she patted his shoulder to get his attention. "What're you...could you explain?" 

It took some extra time for him to compose himself, and she waited with her heart in a giant's fist for his explanation. 

"You...you don't remember?"

Hye-rin shook her head dumbly, wiping absently at a stray tear that had trickled from her own eye. 

"Of course not, huh?" Her brother trailed off. "You were barely three months old. It uh," Yeong Su sniffed, "was Christmas time. Our family never really did Christmas, but I found American Christmas movies on TV and got hooked. I begged appa and eomma to let us do it just like the ones I watched. They let me put up stockings and...they bought a real Christmas tree. It took them forever to find one."

Hye-rin could recall small Christmas celebrations with family growing up, but as they got older, their family made it less of a priority. The house still got some decorations, and they had turkey. That was about it. Their parents would go on date nights sometimes.

It already sounded like Yeong Su had a similar memory. There was a picture from her first Christmas in her phone. A baby who had barely learned to roll over, she sat on the floor propped up by cushions in a pretty red velvet dress. Yeongsu was laying on his stomach in front of her and dangling a round ornament, which she reached for with her chubby baby fingers. There weren't any purported tragedies she'd ever been told about. "I mean, you were impressionable." Hye-rin comforted him. "What kid wasn't at that age?"

"No, I was stupid." Yeong Su clarified, voice pinched. "When everyone went to bed, I snuck back to the tree to see the lights. Eomma always made sure they were off before we went to sleep, but I just wanted to sit up and watch them longer. I turned them back on a-and fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, everything was smoky and it was hard to breathe."

Hye-rin gripped him tighter as he began to shiver. "T-The lights were damaged and the tree caught fire...we...we all had to get out. Appa picked me up and ran out. Eomma was crying. Then..." She let Yeong Su weep. The events he was describing would be traumatic for anyone, let alone a four-year old to live through. "Then Appa realized we didn't have you and...and we couldn't get back in. The fire department wouldn't l-let anyone back in and they said...they said they weren't able to get to you in time. The nursery was so close to where the tree was and the fire spread so fast. I'm sorry..." Hye-rin was crying hard too by now. But not for the apparent fate of her counterpart in this world. She could already tell Yeong Su blamed himself. In his mind, he killed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got to write my reunion! *screams* What did everyone think about that revelation? Were you expecting a twist like that?
> 
> I decided because she's already bonded a lot with the maknae line, it's time for the hyungs to have a chance little by little. Jin's scent is actually peaches, spiced pears, and gardenia (the flower). If you ever see that fragrance for sale anywhere buy it, buy it, buy it!! It's heavenly. I will go more into the other boy's signature scents later. Hye-rin's has kind of briefly been mentioned by Namjoon and Jungkook, but if readers want me to, I can get deeper into what her smell is like and why it's so attractive to the boys so far. 
> 
> Anyway, I really hope this was a nice read. Please let me know your thoughts~


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin and Yeong Su reconnect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me why "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran was in my head the entire time I was writing this? Probably because it's kind of a sappy chapter with a lot about the siblings reconnecting.

From the minute his parents talked to him and explained he was going to become a big brother, Yeong Su was elated. He could still remember how he had vowed to be the best older brother possible, and teach his new little sibling everything they needed to know. Some of his friends had become big siblings, and they didn't like the fact that they were no longer the sole focus of their parents' attention.

But the boy never remembered feeling that way. A new pup in the household meant a playmate and friend. Boy or girl didn't matter, Yeong Su just knew the two of them would grow up thick as thieves.

He flitted around his mother asking questions, periodically patting at her belly or leaning his ear to it, listening out for any noises. As she began to get rounder, Yeong Su got more attentive. He delighted in every kick (much more than his poor mom) and would whisper to the bulge about how he couldn't wait to meet.

In the meantime he helped his eomma and appa decide on a final paint color for the nursery, and select soft, safe toys for the baby. They even entrusted him with looking over the short list of names they picked out once they found out what they were having. Yeong Su couldn't read just yet, but, he had only to sit his finger on a name and his eomma would help him sound it out.

"Hye-rin" was the best one in his eyes, and it didn't take much begging to get his parents to agree to commit to it.

After that, all that was left to do was wait. The months dragged, but at last, the day came when his little sister arrived home from the hospital. His grandparents had flown all the way from Brazil to help around the house and meet the family's newest addition.

Yeong Su was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to complete a puzzle with his grandma when the front door opened. His mother hobbled through the door first, with his grandfather rushing to meet her and offer assistance. Then his appa came in, grinning proudly and clutching a baby carrier firmly in one hand.   
  
The minute he saw the sleeping baby within slowly open her eyes and give a cute yawn, Yeong Su was fascinated. Later that evening, when his mother helped him hold his sister before she got put to bed, he was smitten.

Tucked away under the “new baby” scent was the unique one she would have for the rest of her life. His immature nose couldn’t place it the first time, but the more time he spent around his sister, the more recognizable it became. Forest berries and cinnamon sugar.

The day that changed their family forever and defined his childhood was the last day Yeong Su ever smelled anything like it. But he spent the next twenty-one years being haunted by the sight of their house going up in smoke and the last time he heard his sister coo. He failed to be a good big brother, and it was his fault his family suffered the way they did.

Everything changed after that. They stayed with relatives for a long time, half out of necessity and half because his parents were grieving too much to look for a new home right away. When they finally did, the three of them moved to a new house, nowhere near their first.

Yeong Su had been looking forward to leaving pre-school with his friends, but that became the least of his problems. He was withdrawn for a long time, barely talking and becoming a picky eater. With lots of orange and red crayons, the troubled child drew the scene that chased him into his nightmares so often his parents decided to place him in therapy.   
  


It was determined he needed an outlet. Something age appropriate he could find passion in. Because he was known to pluck at the strings of his father’s old guitar, it was decided he would learn to play one properly. Years of practice and focus revealed he had a knack for it, and the keyboard as well. Nearly any instrument, really. But the first two he learned were his favorites. 

Song writing became a way to release pent up emotions he still had trouble expressing, and his music instructors were quite impressed with him. If not for the deep burning inside that never really simmered down, Yeong Su might have contented himself to simply learn some instruments and enjoy music as a hobby.

But, he never had the luxury. Or rather, he wouldn’t allow himself to. If he was chosen by whatever ugly fate had befallen his family to be the child that survived even when it was his fault Hye-rin didn’t, he would spend every second pouring his all into his craft. Bleeding for it.

He kept improving over the years, claiming first prize in countless competitions, getting scholarships to prestigious art schools. By the time he left middle school, he had his pick of them from across the country and even a few abroad to choose from.

Feeling he owed it to his parents, no matter how much they encouraged him to do what he wanted, Yeong Su chose a school that was in Sokcho. On the surface, he had put the tragedy of his past behind him. He was a well adjusted teenager with an insatiable drive and clear talent.

He was bright, popular, and easily able to charm both classmates and teachers while maintaining a level-headed disposition that made others find him approachable. It wasn’t _so_ bad. Yeong Su even found himself thinking that had it not been for what he had done as a child, a careless pup, he really might have turned out similarly. That was only on the surface though.

Deep inside he was filled with bitterness and self-loathing, guilt nothing could take away. His sister should be right beside him, living her life too. Instead, what could be recovered was long buried. He visited the cemetery to pay respects every year with his parents like clockwork. The year he turned sixteen, he presented as a Beta, which wasn’t anything special. His parents were both Betas.

Still, he got congratulations the boy didn’t really think were necessary. His eomma even made his favorite flavor of cake. It was a bittersweet day. Learning one’s presentation was an important milestone in ongoing adolescent development. But they would never know what Hye-rin presented as, and that was hard to swallow.

That same year, some friends of his egged each other on into getting tattoos with the help of someone’s uncle signing off on permission slip waivers. Yeong Su, forever down with whatever shenanigans a cool guy like him was expected to get up to (as long as it wasn’t downright crazy) tagged along.

He hadn’t planned on getting anything, until he walked into the studio and inspiration struck. He walked out with of all things, a neck tat. When his parents saw it, there wasn't the argument and anger he was half-expecting. They read what he now had permanently scrawled across his skin and shared a look, holding hands. His late sister's name and full birthdate.

That felt like as much of Hye-rin as he was able to carry at all times, and when memories of the brief time he had spent as her brother came to mind, Yeong Su ran fingers over his neck. 

It was a dream with zero chances of becoming reality, and yet here was. Hugging his sister. She was warm, alive and in the flesh. They sat side by side at the otherwise empty conference room table, normally a stuffy place where deals were made, the walls lined with portraits of company bigwigs. Yeong Su reached over as if to touch her again, but hesitated. There were so many things he wanted to ask, so much missing time that needed to be filled in. Hye-rin peered down at his hand and knowingly took it in her own. 

"Are you ok?" she asked gently. 

His face was sticky with dried tears and his hair was probably disheveled but those were small, unimportant things. He nodded. "Y-Yeah, are you?"

Hye-rin tilted her head and looked off at one of the walls thoughtfully. "Oh you know, better than I've been in weeks."

"Same. Except...better than I've been in years."

"Years," she breathed. "I still can't believe you've...well, I guess it makes as much since as anything." She rested her chin into her free palm.

"What makes sense? I've got so many questions. We...we laid you to rest years ago, and we visit you every year on your birthday and around the holidays." 

Her heart-shaped face crumpled up in sympathy. "I can't really do more than show you," Letting go of his hand, she reached into her pocket and pulled out an average looking phone in a case with a design of colorful scales. Biting her thumb, he sat and waited as she scrolled to whatever it was. "Okay, time for a quick slideshow."

Yeong Su perked up as she placed her phone into his hands. He stared down at the first picture and his recently dried eyes began to water, making him wonder just how many tears he had left. The picture he was staring at was the one taken a few weeks before Christmas that year.

He was holding out an ornament from the tree to his curious baby sister. His parents had it developed and framed to rest on the mantle. But it was back in the late 90's, long before digital scrapbooking. The one and only copy had been lost in the fire.

"You even have this picture?" He rubbed his knuckles under his eyes to keep them from dripping onto her screen. 

"Keep scrolling," Hye-rin said with an encouraging smile. "I've got lots of pictures of us together with our whole family. I get that...that for you I've been dead for years. But, I've never known a day in my life without you in it."

As much as he wanted to scroll and see for himself, Yeong Su was afraid. Past the handful of marbles lodged in his throat, he spoke, "I don't get how," 

"That's where it all gets kind of weird...But bear with me, okay? I uh, I was watching this movie about two friends who got taken to a parallel universe after a freak storm."

That sounded vaguely familiar to him. "Was it like... _Washed Up Wednesday_ or more like _Parallel Sea_?"

"Uh, the second one...I think?" The cute scrunch her nose made when she was thinking instantly reminded Yeong Su of his little sister trying to figure out what was going on from her high chair.

He wished he'd gotten to know more of her expressions. "A-Anyway, it was wild, thinking about just popping up in a different world, but that's the best bet I've had to go on this whole time. Think about it, I'm perfectly fine and I have pictures to prove we grew up together, but you're saying I died in an accident as a baby. And seriously, I'd never heard anything about Alphas, Betas and Omegas until I woke up on the beach a couple of weeks ago," she rambled, paused, then gave him the most beguiling pair of puppy dog eyes. "I promise I'm telling the truth."

Ever since learning the harsh lesson of how life could snatch away what you loved, Yeong Su had always approached everything from a realistic perspective. He could miss his sister and want a second chance to heal his family all his life, but until today, he had accepted she was never coming back.

His eomma was always going to tear up around Christmas and refuse to have strings of lights on the house. His appa was always going to crack open a cold beer and nurse it until after midnight on Christmas day, sitting alone in silence for hours.

This...unexpected miracle flipped everything on its head. People didn't come back to life, but...Hye-rin was standing before him as an adult who said she was his sister, but a different version. The Beta pensively looked at another picture in her phone, finding that he was young and by the looks of it, in middle school. He sat on some steps and strummed a guitar while Hye-rin, even younger and holding a tiny ukulele was right beside him, her face lifted up and eyes closed as she crooned. The happy boy in the picture was smiling at her fondly.

It hit him all at once, and Yeong Su had to put down the phone in order to make sure he didn't break it by accident. 

So many stolen memories over the years. Hye-rin's first steps, her first words, her first day of school, her presenting...All of them gone up in smoke. Years of heartbreak for his family was all that rested in the ashes.

But, in the palm of his hand was a beautiful world where nothing had happened to any of them. "This is all the proof I need." he decided. "How could you be lying when there's no way in hell you'd smell just like Hye-rin and have these pictures if you weren't her."

Hye-rin's answering smile was brilliant. "You always come through, oppa." 

_Oppa_. Someone called him oppa now. Yeong Su chuckled, a tiny tint of pink on his cheeks as his chest expanded with joy. "So, one thing I can't figure out...well, there's a lot I can't figure out, actually. But, how'd you...you know, get here? You're saying you got caught in a storm just like in the movie?"

She nodded, her eyes sullen. "I was surfing..." she explained. "Then I must have blacked out in the waves, and I woke up on the beach. I've been trying to figure this out ever since." 

Yeong Su was willing to accept that explanation for the time being. No need to rush her. "How'd you meet BTS?" 

"Funny story there," Hye-rin rubbed her neck and laughed. He had the same habit. Weird. "It was really mostly by coincidence. If it wasn't for them, and some other friends I made, I would be a lot worse off though. I owe them a lot." 

Yeong Su had met them a total of twice before. The first time, it was only their rapline. They idly discussed a chance of a future collaboration provided their schedules synced up over fancy finger food at a Big Hit party. The second time, all seven of them were there, but it was really only in passing. He and Namjoon had been in talks to move forward on a collab though, and now seemed like the perfect time. Everything had fallen into place. 

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to come home from almost two months working in the US and Canada and find his long lost sister with them. Yeong Su admired them. He had to.

They came from a company that wasn't really on anyone's radar in a big way when they debuted. They had the charisma, talent, work ethic and humility to become worldwide superstars in a meteoric rise, and a very devoted legion of fans who adored them. For almost any recording artists, anywhere, they were living the dream.

Plenty of ARMYs credited the group with saving them in one way or another. Yeong Su always thought he had been saved by music too. There was just no way to imagine he would also come to count himself as someone _BTS_ had saved. They found his sister and brought her back to him. If they wanted him to produce the whole damn album he'd do it, and do it so well it'd smash every record conceivably possible. 

"Speaking of the boys, aren't you uh, supposed to be talking to them about music right now?" Hye-rin nervously motioned to the door. "You put them out like forty minutes ago."

Yeong Su snapped out of his inner monologue, eyes widening in realization. Shit, he _did_ kick BTS out on their asses, didn't he? Well, hopefully they wouldn't take it too hard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was iiiit?! I'm happy readers are happy about the reunion last chapter. I decided to include Yeong Su's POV so everyone can get to know a little bit more about how losing his Hye-rin effected him. You know, because guilt that strong from such a young age would more than likely influence who someone grew up to be.
> 
> The boys will come back into the picture next chapter as more is explained. Everyone's going to need to get to the bottom of Hye-rin popping up alive when she's supposedly dead. K.A.R.D hasn't been forgotten, I promise!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all the cards out on the table, everyone tries to adjust to what sounds impossible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things have been really crazy for me since my last update. I'm hoping things are turning the corner for the better and I will be able to write more though.

"If he wanted to talk to his sister instead of work out this collaboration, he should have said something sooner. So far this has been a waste of time." Namjoon turned to Yoongi, his hyung leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

After Yeong Su unceremoniously asking for space, Doyoon found them a lounge where they could wait in peace. The bodyguard was currently standing by outside the room to prevent anyone from entering.

Yes, this was a professional setting, so the expectation _should_ be that they would be treated with respect for their boundaries. But, there was no telling when some opportunistic person was lurking to get a shot at them. 

"There's a good reason," Jimin countered, although he looked a bit worried. "I just hope everything's okay." He sat on one of the couches beside Jungkook and Jin. The maknae was eying the candy in the bowl laid out in front of them while the oldest sat quietly, glancing at Jimin as he spoke. 

"Why wouldn't they be?" Namjoon asked. "Do you know something about whatever that was?"

"You know, Jiminie," Taehyung stopped admiring some of the art on the walls and leaned over the back of the couch to place his head near the pink-haired dancer's. "That night you stayed with her, I asked you what happened and you said you just talked and cuddled all night." Something surfaced in Taehyung's eyes as he snaked a hand into his best friend's hair and pulled none too gently. "What'd you leave out?"

It didn’t look like Jimin really minded the rough treatment, but it also didn’t look like he was inclined to tell them anything. Someone knocked, and everyone looked over as Doyoon poked his head through the door. “Yeong Su-ssi’s ready to give meeting another try.”

They also glanced around, although it didn’t erase the slight tension that had built. Yoongi grunted, exiting the room first with Jungkook and Hoseok trailing closely behind.

By now, Taehyung had released Jimin, and the two seemed to be back to normal. The younger of the two maknaes playfully brushed by, and it was as if some silent exchange had passed between them.

Namjoon wouldn’t really doubt it. They had been soulmates before ever meeting the rest of them. While no one loved anyone more, there were some bonds in the group that were built on a foundation that made them...unique. And they were all okay with that.

He and Jin were the last ones out, and all it took was brief eye contact to tell his hyung had something to say to him.

Lowering his voice to a whisper, he leaned into the older boy, “Something wrong, hyung?”

Jin blinked, whispering back, “It’s just that when I went after Hye-rin, she said something I didn’t understand about thinking her brother wouldn’t want to see her.”

That surprised the leader a little, but only because he hadn’t gotten any signs of animosity from Yeong Su directed at Hye-rin in the short span of time he saw them interact. If anything, the music producer regarded her as if she had returned from the dead, with clear astonishment.

”Maybe Jimin’s right and there’s a good explanation.” Namjoon tried reasoning. “I just...have no clue what it is right now.”   
  
The group filed down the hall, walking the short distance back to the conference room with company staff making space as they passed. It was like walking the halls of Big Hit.

Interestingly enough, despite being an independent freelance producer who could and did get work everywhere, Yeong Su’s studio was here, in DE Entertainment. A place he obviously had a good working relationship with. 

As he and Jin brought up the rear of the procession, Namjoon could see that the door was now cracked, and before anyone could knock, Yeong Su leaned out. “Hey,” he greeted with a casual nod at everyone. “Sorry about that, come on in.”   
  
If Namjoon didn’t know better, he’d say the older producer had been crying heavily. But he couldn’t come across more mellow as he guided them back inside the room. Yoongi was staring at him, unimpressed and without a doubt waiting on an explanation of their abrupt dismissal. 

Hye-rin was sitting on the oblong table, leaning back comfortably. Her face also looked like she had recently been tearful, but just as with Yeong Su, now she was all contentment and smiles.   
  
Usually he didn’t consider himself one to pry into other people’s private affairs, but the pack Alpha had to admit he was curious too. As he stepped into the room, Doyoon walked out with a wave and shut the door. There was no need for him to stand around during this meeting. The quiet man would be back to escort them out when he was summoned via a text.

”First things first,” Bangtan’s leader wasn’t expecting his sunbae to walk right to him and firmly take one of his hands in between both of his own. On top of that, Yeong Su was adamant about making direct eye contact with such a warm, dewy expression on his face.

Namjoon couldn’t help but flush. Being on the receiving end of such an incredibly grateful look made him a little squirmy. The older male was also an impressive height, overtaking him by a handful of centimeters. Judging by the initial firmness of his grip before he relaxed it, Yeong Su’s lean body did not indicate a lack of strength. “There’s never going to be enough ways to express my gratitude for everything you’ve done.” He looked around at the rest of the members, finally letting Namjoon’s hand go. “That goes for all of you.”

The normal reaction to one of his packmates catching him off guard was to go along with it until he could figure out exactly what was going on. That being the case, Namjoon felt it best to nod along slowly. “Oh you’re...welcome,” 

Yoongi was not as easily persuaded to do the same. “What exactly are you thanking us for?” 

“I told him about how much everyone’s been helping me.” Hey-rin volunteered, slipping off the table to lean against her brother’s side. The taller sibling quickly accommodated by slinging an arm around her shoulder.

Standing side by side, both of them smiling, it was easier to see the family resemblance that could be missed at a glance. If it had to be guessed, they took after different parents appearance-wise. Aside from Hye-rin’s darker coloring, there was the difference in facial structure.

Yeong Su’s chiseled cheekbones in comparison to his sister’s heart-shaped, soft face. His smaller eyes in comparison to her large ones. In Namjoon’s opinion, it was a pretty fascinating example of how diverse genetics in the same family could be.   
  


“It’s been nice to hang out,” Taehyung told her cheerfully. “You don’t even mind how chaotic our group can be.”

”Honestly it’s helped to keep my mood up.” Hye-rin explained. “It was pretty disorienting at first, but you know, I’m glad I made some new friends out of it.”

Yeong Su clapped his shoulder. ”I’ll produce as many of the songs on the album as you need me to.”

Once again at a loss, Namjoon settled for a nod. ”That’s...thanks?” 

“That’s all?” muttered his ever perceptive hyung. “I mean there’s more to this than that.”   
  
Hoseok was unusually silent and serious for it to be a time outside of a choreo rehearsal. His eyes flickered to Yoongi and then caught Namjoon’s in wordless agreement.   
  
The look of puzzlement transferred to Yeong Su, his smile slowly tipping down. “Did you not tell them?” 

Hye-rin gave her brother a sheepish pout. “I told....Jimin? Not the story you just told me though. That’s news to me too.”

All eyes shot to the dancer who was avoiding eye contact and shuffling from foot to foot.

“Okay. I’m over this. Someone explain what the hell’s going on or we walk.” Yoongi declared. “This is already eating into enough of the meeting time.” 

Sighing, Hye-rin nudged her brother before walking back to the table. She took a proper seat in a chair. “I don’t want you to lose an opportunity to work with them, oppa. So let’s...try and explain this.” Motioning to the free seats at the rest of the table, she addressed the members. “This might be something you want to sit for, just saying.”   
  


At this stage, Namjoon’s curiosity and confusion were bubbling over. Working with Moon Yeong Su had been something he was looking forward to. But he could tell most of the group was wanting an explanation as much as Yoongi, even if for different reasons.

The maknae line and maybe Jin to some extent saw her as a friend. Namjoon hadn’t spent enough time around her to form a solid opinion, but he thought in every instance they had met so far she was sincere with them.

He knew Yoongi left earlier that morning to apologize over the way he’d talked to her at the park, something he finally admitted to them days later he wasn’t proud of.

If Namjoon had an accurate read on Hoseok, the usually bubbly man probably wanted to proceed cautiously. Which wasn’t a bad plan at all.

They all got settled at the table as if they were only going to proceed with any other normal business meeting. There was a brief squabble over who got the chair immediately next to Hye-rin since her brother was sitting to her right.

The maknaes pushed and hissed quietly at each other, until a fed up Jin shooed them all out of the way to claim the spot for himself with finality. 

Taking a spot for himself, Namjoon waited for someone to start talking. Hye-rin and Yeong Su traded looks, as if silently deciding who would go first. 

"Okay, okay. Let's do it like this. We'll go back and forth and fill in blanks when we need to." Hye-rin suggested. 

Yeong Su had folded his arms as he leaned back in his seat. "Good with me."

Clapping her hands together and taking a deep breath, Hye-rin slowly took a glance around the table. "You might already know some of it, so bear with me..."

* * *

By the time Hye-rin stopped talking, the room was a mixture of drastically varying expressions. Her troubled eyes found Yeong Su, searching for comfort in her big brother the way she always had. Yes, part of her understood that this wasn't the same man she grew up with. It was, incidentally, a version of her congenial oppa that had grown up alone and riddled with guilt because of it.

One or two touching moments probably wasn't going to erase that, but, it was a start. As long as she was around, Hye-rin wanted to help. So she tried to offer silent support in return, pitching in when necessary as Yeong Su told Bangtan his half of the tale. That he felt eternally grateful to them, because as far as he was concerned, they did more than look out for her in her time of need. They brought her back from the dead. The boys seemed both surprised and sympathetic. 

While scrolling online out of interest, Hye-rin discovered most of them had siblings. Naturally their families tried to avoid the spotlight, and with how hard it was for BTS to maintain their privacy, she couldn't say she blamed their loved ones. In this world, Yeong Su was internationally successful too. She didn't know how or if it impacted his personal relationships and freedoms in the same way as it did for the boys, but she hoped he could still go for a coffee and not be accosted in public.

"This meeting has gone way, way off course," Yeong Su acknowledged. "Not really the greatest impression for me to make, bringing you all into my family matters. I want to apologize for that."

The line of skin between Namjoon's brow crinkled, and he wet his lips with questions already building in his eyes. Resting his folded hands on the table, he huffed. "So...if I'm following this right, you're saying she died in a house fire when she was a baby. You're meeting her again for the first time in years." Hye-rin waved when everyone's eyes found her. "And you're saying that you grew up with your family here in Sokcho and there was never a fire. Because you think...t-that you're..."

"Sounds kind of impossible." Hye-rin nodded.

"Sounds kind of like bullshit." Yoongi countered. "Seriously, who's supposed to be buying this?"

"My sister isn't lying." She was grateful for Yeong Su's unwavering support, but the growing tension in the air was starting to get her uncomfortable. Reaching his hand out, the Omega was able to determine that her brother wanted her phone. Passing it to him, it didn't take him long to flash the Christmas picture at Bangtan. "There was only one copy of this picture, and it was lost in the fire." he explained. "Then there's the fact that her scent is an exact match. You can't replicate something like that."

"He makes a point." Hoseok rubbed his jaw. "Remember those rumors last year that someone had found out our scents? Shady companies were popping up and trying to sell colognes that smelled 'just like' us to fans." 

"Oh yeah," Jungkook sat up a little straighter, his eyes mirthful. "Didn't they say hyung's was marshmallows and fresh soap?"

He was pointing at Jin, who rolled his eyes lightly. "Yes, and that's not even close." Turning to her, he said kindly, "We always make sure to wear lots of scent blockers at any public appearances. We don't know how fans could react."

Eyes dipping down to the table, Yoongi shuddered slightly as he swiped a hand through his hair. Thanks to his Chanel headband, the perfect swoop of his part remained intact. "Throwing someone into a heat or a rut would be a PR nightmare."

"That's true, but aren't we kind of losing focus again?" Hoseok wondered innocently. Aside from the day he had come by and helped her eat lunch, Hye-rin hadn't had a whole lot of interactions with the third oldest member of BTS. Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook had given her a general impression about all their hyungs (all good, of course) but she found that in this moment, Hoseok's eyes were intimidating. "I have a question."

"Okay," she gulped. "Shoot."

"Would you say what happened to you was more like _Washed Up Wednesday_ or _Parallel Sea_?" 

It caught her off guard, to the extent that when she initially tried to speak, all that came out was an embarrassing squeak of surprise. "The...the second one?" Hye-rin managed. 

"Oh, I love that movie." Jungkook said in a hushed tone. 

"Doesn't that explain?" Jimin had been largely silent, but it seemed he couldn't keep it in anymore. "It sounded hard to believe for me too, at first. But when you think about it, everything about how Hye-rin behaves kind of makes sense."

Hye-rin had to agree with him. If people just took a moment, they'd see how badly she stood out. "I mean I...if you want I could always take a DNA test." she offered timidly to Yeong Su. The Omega wasn't _keen_ on having to prove she was who she said she was, but given that her counterpart in this world was a dead baby, the necessity made perfect sense. 

"We can discuss it later," Yeong Su's eyes spoke everything he didn't say. "I'm just glad to have you home."

"Parallel universe is really the explanation we're going with?" The ever skeptical Yoongi butt in. 

"Yeah, that's...going to take me a while to wrap my head around." Namjoon cleared his throat, fingers drumming absently on the table. "Could we just...proceed with this meeting for right now?"

"Wait," Taehyung raised his hand with a shout. "If Hye-rin really is lost, and doesn't know anything about this, someone has to teach her."

"Tae, I just said..."

"Well, Matthew, J.Seph, Somin and Jiwoo taught me a little about packs. And Jimin taught me about scenting." It was no more than drop in the bucket compared to all the knowledge everyone else in the room must have had. She knew that. But, Hye-rin was beginning to feel like she had said something taboo given how everyone reacted.

"...Jimin, you taught her about scenting?" Jin asked.

Though the addressed young man opened his mouth, Taehyung gasped loudly, his finger pointing at his boyfriend accusingly. "That's why her scent was all over you!"

Yeong Su's brow raised, screaming "protective brother mode on" and Hye-rin covered her eyes with the flat of her palms, lowering her head. Honestly, for all the commotion it was like Taehyung had come to the conclusion that they'd done more than cuddling.

"I want to teach her next." was the next thing the curly-haired boy declared. "That's fine with you, right, Hye-rin?"

The conversation further devolved into arguments, as half the men around her began arguing and fussing about who needed to be the one to educate her on what. Hye-rin sat through it with a tight-lipped smile, literally twiddling her thumbs, unable to get a word in edge wise.

" _Yah_!" Jin's deafening shout rang through her ears, given that he was right next to her. "All of you cut it out. Didn't Namjoon say we needed to get back to actually discussing the album arrangement? If Hye-rin's got questions, it's her decision to make on who to ask. None of you are qualified to tell her anything about Omega biology anyway from a personal perspective." 

More than a few faces caught fire over Seokjin's admonishment, and the quiet room made Hoseok's tittering more than obvious. Hoping to relieve some of the awkwardness, Hye-rin made an exaggerated show of wiping the back of her hand across her brow. "Okay, whoo!" No one said anything else, so she sprang to her feet, pumping one fist in the air. "Good talk! I'm..." she stumbled over her chair trying to push it in. "Going to get out of your hair so you can actually do what you're all here to do."

"Where are you going?" Yeong Su almost rose with her, evidently not wanting her out of his sight.

"Just gonna go back to the break room I found earlier." Hye-rin pushed a thumb at the door, smiling unsurely. Aside from nearly hitting Doyoon with the door on her way out, the girl silently promised herself she'd had enough of humiliating herself for one day.

* * *

Trailing in behind her brother as he unlocked his flat was kind of surreal. The end of her surfboard bumped him between the shoulder blades when he stopped short, but he didn't seem to mind. Hye-rin remembered visiting him at a modest two bedroom apartment he shared with a roommate. The space she walked into was big, open, modern and...if she could be honest, a little lonely.

The minute Yeong Su found out she was living out of a hotel, he firmly announced she would move in with him, effective immediately and indefinitely. Whatever was going on, they would figure out together. But he refused to have his little sister destitute. "This is a nice place, oppa. But it's pretty big for one person." she observed. There were also traces of something, possibly the fact that she noticed not all of the style choices looked like they came from Yeong Su alone. Unless, of course, her brother just had different tastes in this world. 

"Yeah I...use to share it with my girlfriend." he explained, removing his shoes and setting down his bag. 

"Oh," Hye-rin waggled her eyebrows playfully, beginning to take off her own shoes.

"We...broke up." he finished awkwardly. "She said I was just way too invested in work and it wasn't healthy."

"Oh, s-sorry oppa I..."

"She probably had a good point. I threw myself into work for years because, you know...it was the easiest thing." Her brother rubbed the tip of his ear and spun full circle. "Well, this is it. Make yourself at home. Let me know if you can't find something you need."

Hye-rin saluted. "I really appreciate this. I came out of nowhere and you're helping me out, no questions asked."

Placing a hand over his heart, Yeong Su gave her a long-eyed, scandalous expression. "Is there some reason I'm not supposed to want to help you?"

"Um..."

"Hye-rin, _we're_ family." 

It wasn't that she wasn't grateful. Beyond it, really. But she couldn't help the small shake of her head or the light chuckle of disbelief. "You're really okay with this?"

In a move that painfully reminded her of the brother she had left behind, Yeong Su reached down and ruffled her hair. "You being back in my life is great. Kind of unbelievable, but great. I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth on this one."

"Fair enough," Hye-rin hefted her bag higher up on her shoulder as it started to slip. "Any place I should unpack? I don't...exactly have a whole lot but, you know, I'm not gonna dirty up the place." 

"The couch pulls out into a bed, but take my room, it's fine."

Hye-rin backed away. "No, the couch bed it is. You've already done enough."

He showed her around a little, the tour finally ending as she plopped herself down on a plush L-shaped matte gray couch facing a flatscreen TV and a view of the city streets. Considering that she could barely make out the dots below (people) and cars moving by, the apartment was noiseless. No doubt thanks to reinforced walls. "I'm going to get in the shower, unless you want it first?" 

Hye-rin got more comfortable, lifting her legs and laying back. "You're my brother, not my butler. I'll be okay." 

Yeong Su swallowed, his deep Adam's apple visible as he rubbed the side of his tattooed neck. "Yeah...just yell if you need anything." 

Sluggishly giving a thumbs up, Hye-rin watched her brother jog into what she knew to be his master bedroom. She rolled around onto her stomach, crossing her arms and sighing. What a long, weird day...

Although she closed her eyes, the sun wasn't even down, and Hye-rin knew she wasn't tired enough to nap. Mentally exhausted, but her body was sparking with nervous energy. Checking the time, her mind drifted back to the friends she hadn't spoken to in over a day. 

_'That's right. I can see how things are going in Seoul.'_

The thought of checking in with her friends spurring her on, Hye-rin rushed to get out her phone for a video call. Her thumbs hovered on the four separate contacts, wondering who was most likely to be available. Sucking on her bottom lip, the Omega narrowed her eyes in concentration. _'Let's see...'_ It had been a while since she chatted with Somin or Jiwoo. Girl talk was important, but it wasn't until recently that it sank in.

Almost all her life, because of her interests and personality, Hye-rin found it easier to make friends in social groups including mostly guys. Her brother's friends all regarded her as his tomboy little sister. Throughout most of her formal schooling, Choonhee might have been her only consistent girl friend. Funnily enough, they really couldn't have been more different. Choonhee was a fashionista who always had someone after her for a date since middle school. Outgoing, pretty, able to flawlessly perform any Kpop song on karaoke nights.

In comparison, she was the girl most people found relaxed and athletic. If she tried she was probably _pretty enough_ wearing makeup and the occasionally feminine attire. It just...wasn't something she put a lot of interest in over the years. Hye-rin found that people were either going to accept her, or they were going to take a pass, and her family had always told her not to compromise her comfort either way. 

Somin and Jiwoo, from everything she had found out about them thus far, were pretty opposite too. Yet they came together to make a loving couple. Talking to one or both of them about all the drama happening sounded so filling for the soul, Hye-rin mashed the contact name without any further hesitation. 

It rang four times before someone answered, Somin's face popping up unlike she was use to seeing it. Her fiery hair was up in a ponytail and there was a smudge of flour on her cheek. Ah, stupid. Of course they were at their café. Aside from some eyeliner and mascara, the older girl wore a pastel lipstick and that was it. " _Oh, Hye-rin?_ "

"Am I catching you at a bad time?" By the way Somin was holding the phone, she could make out others darting around behind the counter. At the edge of the screen, Hye-rin thought she saw Jiwoo.

" _No, it's fine. We're slowing down for the day._ " Somin smiled, craning her neck as a new face popped up behind her shoulder.

A young man with short blond hair and large-framed glasses waved at her. " **Hey, how's it going?** " he asked in English. 

Deciding to roll with it, Hye-rin tilted her head. " **Pretty good**." she responded, cringing over her unusual accent. Jointly learning Portuguese and Korean from the time she was a baby had given her something of a lilt she was always suppressing. It came out the worst with English. 

" _Park Jaehyung, get back to work,_ " Somin waved him off gently.

" _Just Jae's fine,_ " he told Hye-rin, switching to Korean. " _Nice 'meeting' you Hye-rin._ " Then he was gone.

Somin shook her head gently. " _He's one of our employees here, and one of Matt-oppa's close friends._ "

"How's everyone?"

" _Fine. We miss you!_ " Somin cried dramatically. " _J.Seph is preparing for a job he has tonight at a club, and Matthew's on a delivery run, but he should be back soon. Jiwoo is working behind the counter with me._ " As if to demonstrate her point, she turned the phone's camera until her girlfriend was visible. The husky voice of the Beta as she took a customer's order filtered into her ears. " _What about you? How was your day?_ "

Hye-rin managed a hesitant grin. "Alright?" Somin did not appear convinced. "I met up with my brother today, so I can't really complain."

Somin's happy squeal hurt her ears, but given that she was just expressing her excitement on Hye-rin's behalf, it made her grin genuinely. 

"Yeah, a little weird. Uh, Bangtan was there because they were supposed to be talking about Yeong Su helping produce their next album. I kind of cut in on that."

"The boys understood, I'm sure." The redhead comforted. Hye-rin really wanted to tell her friend more, about the full extent of everything she had learned. Waiting until she wasn't in the shop and when the others were there to tell everyone at once was for the best, though.

The boisterous, familiar voice that followed the chime of the shop door made the girl wonder over how Matthew always managed his timing so well. " _You're back fast._ " Somin remarked.

Hye-rin felt like a silly school girl trying to get a glimpse of her crush in the hall when she craned her head for a better view, knowing it wouldn't make a difference. Perhaps pitying her, Somin changed directions, right as Matt got closer and lifted up the very baggy tank top he had on to wipe sweat from his face. " _Could have told me it was a sorority house, you know._ " For a glorious few seconds, washboard abs and rippling biceps were all she could see. 

" _Ah_ ," Somin smirked. " _I thought you'd be able to handle it. I have full confidence in your sex appeal and boyish charm, oppa._ " 

"Hey," 

"What?!" Hye-rin watched wide-eyed as her phone flew right out of her hands, bounced off the other side of the couch and slid to the floor with the screen to the carpet. A very puzzled Yeong Su was standing right in front of her in sweatpants and a t-shirt, toweling his hair dry. 

"Sorry, did I..." he cautiously retrieved her phone and flipped it over. The surprised squawk from Somin let Hye-rin know the call at least didn't disconnect. "interrupt?"

Hye-rin took her phone back with two hands. "I was just talking to some friends. They're in Seoul. They're the other people that've been helping me out."

"Yeah?" Yeong Su took the space beside her and leaned into her shoulder.

Somin was on the screen with one hand covering her reddened face and the other hand fanning herself. She was talking very quietly, but Hye-rin thought she caught the word 'handsome'. A big hand plucked the phone away from the giddy girl, and then Matthew was peeking curiously into the camera. The two men stared at each other quietly. 

Feeling the need to intervene, Hye-rin decided introductions were in order. "Yeong-oppa, this is actually the man who found me first when I was totally lost. Matthew, this is my brother, Yeong Su." 

" _Hey,_ "

"Hey." 

She couldn't really figure out why both of them were being so weird. Neither of them was really what she'd term as quiet or shy. Prodding them once again, she put her phone into her brother's hand and got up. "I'm gonna grab something to drink really fast. Be right back, okay?"

Deciding she wouldn't give him a chance to protest, she padded off for the kitchen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's been okay as this crazy year continues? haha Yes, all of BTS now knows the full story but do all of them believe it? We'll see. Hye-rin's crashing with her brother now, so no more living out of a hotel all lonely like. And KARD returned in this chapter!! They will be back physically too. Because this is of course BTSxKARDxHye-rin (eventually). 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts and what you hope to see next now that Hye-rin's got her brother back.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing this chapter for some reason hnnng!
> 
> This is a good time to bring up that not all events are chronological to when they really happened. For example, some of the boys might have their tattoos when they didn’t get them until more recently in real life. And some songs may be brought up out of era too. The ages mentioned so far are international, not Korean. 
> 
> International ages go:  
> Jin, J.Seph, BM (‘92 linerz): 26  
> Yoongi, Yeong Su (‘93 linerz): 25  
> Hoseok, Namjoon (‘94 linerz): 24  
> Jimin, Taehyung (‘95 linerz): 23  
> Somin, Jiwoo (‘96 linerz): 22  
> Hye-rin, Jungkook (‘97 linerz) 21  
> And of course as everyone knows just add a year and you’ve got the Korean ages.  
> So technically, this story would be set in 2018 but I haven’t decided how important that is just yet.

Rummaging through Yeong Su's refrigerator felt like second nature. It used to happen all the time that she would visit him, find herself a snack, and comment about what needed to be thrown away and replaced.

He did the same sort of scavenging whenever he came to her dorm for a visit—later her apartment off campus. Of course, she and her first roommate were more diligent about keeping their shared fridge tidy, and Hye-rin always made sure her older brother knew he was only allowed to have whatever was labeled with her name.

Little things like popping in on each other, going to family dinners at their parents' house and catching up over an early morning surf were what she had missed.

Those were things this Yeong Su never got the privilege of doing with her. Meanwhile, it occurred to her more and more that the one she had left behind might have been tearing the city apart to find her. 

Hye-rin fixed herself a glass of orange juice, taking her time leaving the kitchen to force Matthew and her brother to chat more. She took a long sip, just letting the tart flavor sit on her tongue. Disappearing to pop up in this world, however that was possible, had to be causing some alarm back home, right? Her parents, brother and friends might have thought she drowned for all she knew. 

Running her fingers across the countertop, Hye-rin mused that it was granite. Fancy. It also kind of felt like another design choice that was made by the mysterious ex her brother mentioned. Back home, he didn't exactly have the means for luxuries left and right, although he lived comfortably.

But even if he had the money to spare, Yeong Su's upbringing was the same as her own. He was more attracted to simpler things with splurging every now and then on something like a surfboard or a new amp for his guitar. Hye-rin reminded herself that just because this was also Yeong Su, it didn't mean he was the exact same as her Yeong Su. Already, there were small differences. Who was to say there couldn't be more?

Peering around the corner, she spied him still sitting on the couch with his head bent, talking at her phone. When she heard him chuckling, Hye-rin decided some of the awkwardness had eased and it was safe to check on them.

"Yeah, dance hall does owe its resurgence to the movement with younger clubgoers about fifteen years back." Yeong Su was saying. 

Hopping over the back of the couch (with a bit of effort, because holy shit did it have a high back) Hye-rin landed next to her brother with a grin. "Doing better in here I see." 

_"Yeah!"_ Matthew agreed from the phone. _"I didn't expect to see_ the _Moon Yeong Su. Your brother's halfway to being a legend already. Everything you produce goes platinum, man."_

Yeong Su laughed it off shyly, giving her the phone back. "He's exaggerating by a lot."

Winking playfully, Hye-rin looked around before punching his arm. "I dunno, oppa. I'm sitting in a flat that could fit half my campus. I can believe it." 

Rolling his eyes, her older brother spread his long arms across the back of the furniture. "But the one thing we really found out we have a lot in common about was you." 

All her glib, little sibling teasing gave way to surprise, and then bashfulness. " _Me_? What about _me_?"

" _He told me thanks for looking out for you,_ " Matt explained. " _I told him about how cool you are. But I mean, he's your big bro so he already knew that. We just switched to talking about music right before you came back._ "

There was no doubt Hye-rin's cheeks were aflame. She'd never been able to take a compliment directly without clamming up. Judging by the smug face Yeong Su was wearing, he was amused by her flustered state. "Whatever you two needed to talk about to fill the time." Hopefully playing it off, even when her face gave her away, would be enough to get her off the hook.

" _Oppa, stop hogging the phone!_ " Jiwoo's whine made Matthew look over his shoulder. Sure enough, the pack maknae was there, armed with a pout and a glare. The big Alpha stared at her unsurely, almost as if he was nervous. It proved to be a warranted reaction as she hit him on the back with a table cloth she'd been brandishing. " _Here! We're starting to scrub down tables for today_."

The way Matthew scrambled to take the rag and do her bidding was comical. But, it wasn't before he stared directly into the phone with a hopeful grin. " _Catch you later, Hye-rin. And nice talking to you, bro._ "

" _Go! My turn!_ " Jiwoo shoved at him as she took the phone away. 

"Jiwoo!" Hye-rin realized belatedly she hadn't used her indoor voice. Her fanatic scream sounded like she was front row in a concert. Right next to poor Yeong Su, too. 

The blonde girl gave her a mega-watt smile, waving a sweater paw her way. " _Hi, Hye-rin~_ " she blew a kiss, which Hye-rin pretended to catch and place over her heart. " _You must be Yeong Su-ssi?_ "

"That's me." Hye-rin watched him smile with easy charm. "Don't tell me; I want to guess. You're Jiwoo." He pointed at her with his index finger. "I heard through the grapevine." By which he meant her manic shout from a moment ago. "Thanks for being a friend to my sister. She's told me about how much your pack's done for her, and if you guys ever need any type of repayment, it's yours."

Jiwoo placed her oversized sweater sleeve in front of her grinning mouth and giggled. " _We don't need anything. We were happy to help._ " Making eye contact with Hye-rin again, her friend resumed the pout she had aimed at Matthew, but there was no heat in her eyes. " _You should come to Seoul soon. We want to see you in person._ "

For some reason, Hye-rin found herself growing a little emotional. She had washed up in this world knowing no one, having nothing. Then in such a short time she had managed to stumble across a kind, concerned group of people that already felt like true friends. "Once everything's settled here, I'll do my best." Jiwoo's pout didn't ease away, so she added, "Really. I promise."

That made the female Beta a little more satisfied. " _I need to go and pack the leftovers we're taking home, but we'll talk more soon_."

"Tomorrow?" Hye-rin offered. 

" _Tomorrow._ " Jiwoo said her goodbyes to them both and ended the call. Hye-rin placed her cell down on the glass table stacked neatly with vintage magazines and cork coasters.

"They're fun." Yeong Su commented. "They also care about you a lot, which means I approve."

Shooting him some side eye, the Omega shook her head. "Oh, everyone in my life's going to need the Oppa Seal of approval from now on."

"Please?" He pretended to beg. "I bought a nice shiny new stamp and everything." 

They shared a good laugh, Hye-rin swatting at him as he rolled away. "Uh, but oppa?"

Yeong Su sat with his arms resting on his knees and his hands clasped together, mop of hair falling into his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Be honest with me...I didn't mess anything up for you today with BTS, did I?" She could imagine some of them were not thrilled, even after their joint, lengthy explanation.

It took him a minute to respond, almost as if he'd forgotten all about the dramatic way she'd popped into his life. "Hm? Nah, it'll be fine."

" _Oppa_ ," Hye-rin stressed. "Did I make you lose the collaboration?"

"No, Hye-rin, you did _not_ make me lose out on anything." He leaned over and pecked her forehead. It was a small act of affection he did often when they were having a sibling moment. Back home, anyway. Apparently this Yeong Su did it too, and that thought was comforting. "I'm going to see at least some of them again tomorrow. Right now we're discussing at least five tracks. They've got some lyrics that aren't quite songs yet and I wanna go over arrangement. Boring producer stuff."

"Nothing's boring about doing what you love." Hye-rin patted his back. 

"I do love making music," he conceded. "I really lucked out that I was able to have a successful career. But you know what?" 

Hye-rin fought down a grin. "You're about to say something cheesy. I can tell."

Eyes twinkling, he tossed an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "I'm about to say no amount of success compares to you coming back to me. I can't wait until eomma and appa get to meet you. The whole family." 

She knew Yeong Su was just excited. It also made perfect sense. This version of their parents had undoubtedly been suffering just as much as her brother had been. They deserved to know their daughter was (sort of) back.

The rest of the family, based on the versions of them she knew, Hye-rin could imagine having varying reactions. Someone on her mother's side was _bound_ to demand a DNA test. It didn't really matter. Despite knowing she hadn't been born to the world she currently resided in, there was no part of her that thought it wouldn't come back an exact match to her living relatives here. 

The issue wasn't with the test, or the possible questions. It was with the permanence Yeong Su was already imagining. In his head, she was back for good. Hye-rin still barely knew what was happening, and logically, she should be doing everything she could to get to the bottom of it, and then go back where she came from.

The problem was...that was sure to leave her family heartbroken again. But did staying with them mean she'd be doing the same to the family she left behind? Hye-rin felt her heart rate quicken the way it had earlier in the day. There was no winning and she was starting to feel overwhelmed again. 

“Whoa!” A firm grip on her upper arm steadied her focus. “You’re pale. What’s wrong?”

Realizing the worry she had probably just caused Yeong Su, Hye-rin rubbed at her forehead with a frown. “I...I guess it’s been a long day. You mentioned meeting the family and that’s great, but um...”

”No, that was too sudden.” He rubbed her arm in understanding. “We’ll just go slow, alright?” 

“I’d appreciate that for now.”

Sighing, Yeong Su stood up, offering her his arm. “We’ve both had a long day. Shower’s yours if you want it. I was going to ask you when I first came back from mine if you wanted me to order us something for dinner.”   
  
“Sure,” She accepted the proffered arm and lifted herself onto her feet. “I’d offer to pay but I didn’t have much a few weeks ago and I’ve got even less now.”

”Forget about that.” Her brother nudged her in the direction of his bedroom. “You can use the guest bathroom if you want, but I think you’d like mine better. Use whatever you need to. I’ll go dig up some clothes for you. Towels and washcloths are under the sink.” 

Hye-rin wandered around the corner, lightly pushing at the cracked door and stepping into the kind of modern bedroom she would expect from a spacious studio apartment flat. Yeong Su’s bed had to be king-sized, which would only make sense if he had been sharing it up until recently.

The sheets were jet black, neatly made, and there was a small matching black desk lamp on a conservative bedside table with long, skinny legs that looked like the kind of hand crafted piece that came from an art fair. 

There was more art decorating the blue accent wall the bed leaned against, and she took her time to admire it. While it was nice, it struck Hye-rin as another design choice that wasn’t really her brother’s. She had to wonder just how much the ghost of his former girlfriend lingered around the flat. Did it make him miss her? Was he lonely? 

Those were perhaps things they could talk about another time, when they were better acquainted. Hye-rin moved on, opening the door across from the bed to the right, finding a walk in closet instead of the bathroom. And what a closet.

“Choonhee would have a field day in here!” she whistled, backing out and spinning to the door on the left by a well-cared for potted plant. “Which must mean the bathroom is this door...” 

The second time proved to be the charm. Walking into the master bathroom was like walking into something out of a home improvement magazine. Hye-rin stared around in awe, just taking it in.

The shower was its own stage. Several steps led up to an area surrounded by thick glass with gleaming tanned tiles that made it rustic. On the opposite end of the bathroom was a long vanity sink.

She could tell which side Yeong Su used because of the toothbrush in its holder there, beside a hair brush and a can of shaving cream. The other side was cleared out and immaculate.

Hye-rin padded over to look under the sink for the supplies her brother had mentioned, catching a peek at herself in the mirror. Although she wouldn’t call herself the vainest person around, she touched her cheek and self-consciously patted at her head. ‘ _Not bad, but I’ve seen better days._ ’ she thought. 

Backing away, she bent down and plucked out a clean, neatly folded towel that was especially fluffy. She took it and a wash cloth to the shower, only stopping momentarily to ogle the shiny jacuzzi-sized tub built into the floor like an underground pool. She could see her reflection in the white surface and golden handles. 

“I fell down a rabbit hole where my brother is the rich kid from a manga...and just last month I spotted him when we went out for lunch.” Hye-rin muttered, still not believing her eyes.

A rhythmic knock came at the door, and too lazy to go and answer it from across the room, she just yelled for him to come in and hoped he heard. The echo in the bathroom made for some good acoustics. 

Yeong Su entered with some clothes folded over his arm. “I’m giving you one of the shirts Eun-kyung left. I brought a pair of the shorts she wore to bed, but if they don’t fit, I’ve also brought a pair of my own sleep pants.” He laid everything on the sink. “Well...enjoy your shower.”

Hye-rin watched him prepare to leave with wide eyes. “Wait!” she flailed. He stopped curiously. “I need to know how to work the security system on your shower.”

”Security...system?”

She jabbed accusingly at the big panel box in the shower.

”Wha—haha! That’s the setting and thermostat control. Here, let me show you how to use it.” Yeong Su opened the glass and climbed inside the massive shower while she stood on the steps and watched.

“So these are what you need to press for the perfect temperature. I like mine a little hotter than the average person after a long day of sitting down. Loosens up the muscles. But if you’re ever using this after me you might want to check to be sure you’re not about to boil yourself alive. Since it’s been just me the last couple of months, I saved all my personal settings.” He paused with his fingers hovering over the keypad. “With me so far?”   
  
Hye-rin nodded dutifully, eyes shifting down to a screen smack in the middle of all the handles and below the panel. “What does that do? Order take-out and file taxes?”

Yeong Su wiggled his eyebrows. ”You’ve got jokes, huh? This is just for a little change of pace from late night shower thoughts. You can set it to something relaxing to put you in a calm mind frame for a while.”

Tapping the screen, she watched as it came to life, the picture of a white, sandy beach with crystal blue waters on display. It was a perfect replica of the kind of beaches they would see all the time in Brazil. Yeong Su tapped at the screen again and the scene changed to show a muggy, lush green rain forest. “Isn’t all this kind of...excessive? What happened to good old imagination?” Hye-rin asked.   
  
“Eun-kyung never had much of one. She said that’s why she took a chance on dating a creative type—me.” Hye-rin already wanted to come to her brother’s defense. How dare this girl make it sound like his artistic soul was a bad thing!

But, the soft look of nostalgia he was sporting didn’t speak of heartbreak. Just fond memories that had since come and gone. So Hye-rin kept quiet. 

“Anyway, back to this little guy. You’ve got a variety of water pressures and settings to choose from.”

The siblings spent the next fifteen minutes with Yeong Su going over the rest of his shower’s gratuitous settings. It almost made Hye-rin wish she had chosen a bubble bath, but who was to say that wouldn’t also be complicated?

The lap of luxury she found herself in had her head spinning, but she would do her best to adjust. This Yeong Su hadn’t grown up with her.

Aside from her presumed resemblance to a sister he hadn’t seen since her infancy, they really shared nothing. But he had welcomed her into his life and home with open arms, so she wasn’t about to get whiny. By the time he left the bathroom to give her some privacy, Hye-rin was glad she was about to step into the shower. If she started tearing up not even she would be able to tell the difference.

* * *

Jungkook leaned so far forward he was bending almost in half, fingers flying over the controller buttons. Hoseok was in a loveseat diagonal, using another controller with his hands moving much less rapidly.

Jimin sat on the floor, his back against Jungkook's knees as he whined and squirmed the more he fell behind. "Hobi!" he cried as their hyung started to chuckle. "Why'd you do that? We should be working together to beat Kookie!" The pouting dancer had gotten hit with a dreaded red shell, effectively moving him to last place as they raced around a colorful level of Mario Kart.

"You could still catch up on the next lap," Hoseok said matter-of-factly. All that got from Jimin was a disgruntled noise. He was sitting cross-legged and flapping his knees anxiously like the wings of a trapped butterfly. His fingers were tapping his controller faster and tilting it, as if that would give him some edge. 

After a long day of talking about songs and getting the shock of a lifetime from the Moon siblings, everyone was beat upon returning home. For Jungkook, he chose to pull out his video games, and luckily two of his hyungs were willing to play with him. The others wanted to unwind in different ways around the penthouse. Yoongi and Jin-hyung were in the kitchen diligently preparing ingredients for the evening's meals.

Namjoon and Taehyung _had_ disappeared shortly after they got back, but their voices grew closer as they resurfaced from down the hall. Eye still on his lead, something he fully intended to keep, Jungkook also kept an ear out when they passed the boys in front of the TV. 

"Taehyung, it's like we already said. It just sounds...really unlikely." 

"Okay," Tae had one of the 'I'm not dropping this' tones he sometimes got when he was in a stubborn mood. And, unfortunately for poor Namjoon-hyung that seemed to be now. "Unlikely isn't impossible. It's not really our business if she chose not to tell us. She hasn't asked you for any of your other connections, has she?"

Fully interested, Jungkook chose to pause the game. While Hobi didn't really mind, Jimin shrieked in protest. "Now you want to take a break? I was about to catch up!"

"No," Hoseok tossed his controller down, rolling his eyes. "You weren't." 

The maknae chose to tune them out for the most part, Jimin getting up and storming around the couch to join the others. Almost everyone seemed more intent on getting in on Namjoon and Taehyung's conversation anyway.

"Every time that girl comes up, it's an argument or some strange claim." Yoongi slid some of the diced mushrooms out of the way and grabbed a thick carrot.

"It's almost like a story out of a drama, you know?" Jin mused as he multi-tasked, handling several pots and saucepans on the stove and cubing up meat. "Someone comes back after years of being missing and assumed dead." He paused only long enough to check on some rice he was making. "But usually they return to their lover."

"Didn't her brother make it pretty clear he recognized her?" Jimin huffed, and Jungkook couldn't tell if he was still sore about his near-loss or if he was that way because the topic of discussion was Hye-rin. Since the night he stayed with her, he was undoubtedly protective, and quick to jump to her defense when one of the hyungs cast dispersions about her intentions. "He was right. You can't rub on perfume and perfectly fake a scent."

"What does our resident genius think?" Hoseok prodded, happy to listen in on the conversation from his seat while the others crowded the kitchen area. 

Rubbing a large hand down his face, their leader shrugged helplessly. "Really? I think it could be anything. Mental issues, a brainwashed victim of human trafficking, or..."

"Or the truth." Taehyung challenged. 

"There's no way," Yoongi grunted, looking up from his task.

"Yah, watch your fingers." Jin fussed after Yoongi delivered a particular strong chop. "Do I have to give you the Namjoon Treatment?"

Said man gasped in betrayal. "Hyung, did you really need to go so far as naming it after me?" 

"What exactly are you hiding, Joon?" Hands on his hips, the oldest narrowed his eyes. "We all know you're a menace in the kitchen."

Jungkook was happy to make room when his sulking mate came and sat right beside him. Getting back to the game was the furthest thing on his mind as he instead focused on closing the gap to the other Alpha.

"Anyway, like I was saying, do any of you actually believe that?" The surly rapper went on. "People laugh at Jin's jokes because they like _him_ , not because they're funny." 

"Yah!" 

Seokjin had just picked up a spatula to prod at some of what he had simmering on the stove. His hyung had always been good at making kitchen utensils multipurpose. One minute they helped prepare food and the next they were being brandished at one of their throat's like the tip of a dagger.

Such was the case, as Yoongi had to duck away. "You're flinging grease!" the white-haired man shouted. "And all I'm saying is that everyone knows none of what she says is based in reality. You don't believe her, but half of you _like her_ enough to overlook it."

It was more or less aimed at the maknae line, which meant it included him. He'd been fine sitting there and letting everything play out until that moment. Namjoon had absently started scratching his scalp which had prompted him to lay his head down on the comfy lap available to him and enjoy the contact. However, the accusatory tone of his second oldest hyung made Jungkook shift up just a little.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jimin asked.

"You really want me to say it?" The attention felt like it was zeroing in on Yoongi the way it did when he was about to deliver one of his killer bars on a track. "You're blinded from realizing she's hiding something by this...crush you have."

"I...I never said it's a crush," In his mind's eye, Jungkook had already envisioned his angelic looking hyung starting to turn pink. 

"You could at least try not to make it sound like a question," Hoseok sighed, shaking his head in apparent pity. "It's okay to admit. We've all had crushes on other people before, and she's cute."

"Then, I really like her..."

"Taehyung," Jin drawled. "The food's not done but it better be appropriate for the dinner table, or else."

"Hey, I was going to say energy!" Tae complained. "I think she's down-to-earth." 

"Aren't we getting off track?" Namjoon bounced his leg lightly, but it wasn't enough to really disturb Jungkook, who adjusted fine. The hand continued to rub through his hair, and he continued to listen silently. "At the end of the day, I do agree that whatever she says, whether it sounds believable to us or not, that doesn't affect the fact that we still want to continue working with her brother. All the artists that have worked with him in the past three years have gone from total obscurity to number ones."

"You're not wrong, but I just want to point out that... _we_ don't need one specific producer to make number ones. We," Yoongi motioned to himself, Hoseok and Namjoon, "and some other collaborators could do that."

"Don't act like you weren't excited to get the opportunity before this, hyung." Taehyung scurried away after trying to steal a taste of Jin's food while his back was turned. "And the rest of us are still excited. He doesn't just produce rap tracks. He's discovered a lot of vocalists that are famous now."

"Are you in or out then Yoongi-hyung?" Hoseok asked.

"Are _you_?" he retorted. 

"I say we should do it, but we're always a team. If one of us doesn't feel right about it, then..."

"I don't feel right about that girl." he clarified. "Besides being way too flighty for her own good, she's constantly saying crazy shit like she believes it." 

"None of that has anything to do with the collaboration," Jimin sang.

"Yes, I want to do the collaboration still, alright?"

Most of the boys celebrated with whoops of victory or satisfied hums. Namjoon's fingers finally stopped moving on his head, and Jungkook blinked himself back from the edge of drowsiness. 

"That's settled?" the leader waited for any objections, but no one voiced them. "Can we just wash up and get ready for dinner now, guys?"

"Yep," Taehyung skipped off, Hoseok and Jimin following.

Although he didn't like it, the young Alpha obediently lifted his face up from the jean clad legs when he got a gentle pat on the shoulder. He'd been careful not to voice his own thoughts, for fear of being viewed as a gullible romantic. It was just...it'd be nice to feel like something as magical as a girl dropping into their lives from another world was possible.

"So everyone's going to go conveniently leave and not help me plate and serve this?" Jungkook hurried after the others, away from Jin's agitation.

* * *

Something was...different. Cracking one eye open, Hye-rin took a small glimpse at the digital alarm clock that sat between the two beds. Only, it was gone. The bedside table was gone. The entire hotel room was gone. Jerking upright, she tried to discern her surroundings through muddled thoughts and groggy eyes.

The open room, the modern amenities so like and yet unlike the hotel... Placing a hand to her thumping heart, it finally clicked. _'This is Yeong Su's apartment...'_ she recognized. Flopping backwards, she gave herself an additional minute to fully wake up. What a crazy day yesterday had been. So much had happened in such a little time. After taking her shower and eating Chinese food from cartons as they talked on the couch, the siblings decided to retire. 

Hye-rin shooed Yeong Su off to his bedroom, and got comfy on the pull-out couch. It wasn't bad at all. Nothing like the one at her parents' home that always had a spring in the middle no matter what position someone chose. No, it felt just like drifting off on any other mattress. The trouble came when she fell asleep. Dreams kept her occupied, snippets returning little by little...all of it felt so important. 

Most of it was normal in the beginning. She headed out to surf, wearing the same wetsuit she was wearing the day her world turned upside down. In the dream, she was dashing out across the sand with her board under her arm, adrenaline as high as always. Even if it was a dream, she could _feel_ the blood rush through her veins with anticipation...

Then, she bumped shoulders with someone coming in the opposite direction. The events of the dream took an alarming turn after that. The man had to have been in his thirties, with dark, slightly oily hair and a cold leer.

He was wearing board shorts and a t-shirt, but, it didn't feel like he belonged there. Deep, deep in her sleep, alarm bells rang she couldn't place. He lifted a hand to brush at his shoulder, and Hye-rin caught the glimpse of a tattoo with a murky shape her mind couldn't make sense of. 

"Sorry!" Her dream self had chirped.

"Hm...please pay more attention. You're likely to plow someone over with your surfboard."

Hye-rin bowed, carefully maneuvered around him, and continued onto towards the water. But when she looked back, he still stood in the sand and observed eerily. 

That was as much as she could remember about the dream, but she knew the sense of panic he invoked was something she could recall...from somewhere...

 _'I can't start the morning off like this.'_ she reasoned, shaking off the blanket Yeong Su provided and scooting off the couch. She'd fix it later, she decided, first making a pitstop to the guest bathroom she hadn't seen much of yesterday. It wasn't as big as the one in the master bedroom, but it was still plenty roomy.

She did her business and watched the water swirl down the toilet, then another gush of deep blue water flood into it. The base of the toilet rumbled, and then two lights flickered on the side as the blue water vanished too. _'Oh yeah, Yeong Su mentioned something about how the toilets are self-cleaning.'_ A day out, it was still hard to take in that her brother had so...much...money.

Shuffling toward the sink, Hye-rin used one hand to secure her borrowed pants. The shorts he offered ended up being a tad too tight, something she blamed entirely on the genetics that had cursed her with thick thighs.

No amount of working out gave her the slender legs the girls in gym class raved about. Surfing and other activities made Hye-rin's calves and thighs muscular but supple, and got her long stares from men when she took the subway lines.

It didn't mean she was as tall or long-legged as her brother by any means. Their mother was a diminutive woman with a fiery, blunt personality that made her stand ten centimeters taller.

Her father was a tall, fit man with a deep tanned glow, a salt and pepper beard, and a zest for cooking, surfing, his family and dancing. Yeong Su came out even taller than their father, and Hye-rin ended up beating their mom's height, but that didn't say much.

In short, _she_ was short. And her brother's pants were long. Hye-rin used the draw strings to try and keep them in place better, dabbing her hands in foaming soap and preparing to turn the sink knobs.

Water instantly coming out in a steady trickle made her jump away, accidentally splashing it up her arms. Once acclimated to that nifty feature, she removed her hands and toweled them dry, tiptoeing down the hall. The lights were still off in the flat, so she had to assume Yeong Su would be asleep. Considering that the glass wall on one side of the kitchen showed the sun barely up, she couldn't blame him.

But, it gave her an idea.

Creeping toward the stainless steel fridge, she jerked it open. It was a miracle it wasn't a talking smart fridge (and she was endlessly grateful for that). Hye-rin didn't pay close attention the day before, only having seen and grabbed orange juice, but even for a busy bachelor the selection was...lacking. "You've got all this money, Yeong Su..." she grumbled, moving aside the half-empty cartons from last night. "Glad to see you're spending it on the right things." 

It took some more searching, but Hye-rin came away with enough to make a light, decent breakfast. Of course, as she prepared everything, she vowed they were going to put together a comprehensive grocery list as soon as he was up. 

Bustling around the kitchen gave the girl a much needed distraction, cracking eggs into a frying pan and then grabbing a spatula. 

Life was so strange. One minute you were face down on the sand and then lost in your hometown. The next you were meeting idols and attractive jocks and finding out your brother was some kind of musical genius turned millionaire. None of it effected her perspective though. Hye-rin knew she was still herself at the end of the day, and she still had to find out what she was going to do to get herself back on track.

The eggs fried up quickly, so she wasted no time seasoning them and then throwing on some shredded cheese. Plating the portions, Hye-rin ran to check on the toast she was also making. Had to get it out before it got too burned. Yeong Su always liked his a bit on the darker side, while she preferred the perfect medium shade of brown. The ones that popped from up were more to her liking, so she set them aside for herself and got two more pieces for her brother. 

He mentioned going to meet BTS for a second meeting, so he probably didn't want a heavy breakfast anyway. The darker slices of toast finished just as Hye-rin got the knife and the jar of nutella spread she'd stumbled across. They, along with a carton of ripe strawberries and some marshmallows she quickly roasted were going to make a cute morning meal.

The Omega had just gotten it all on the table and poured up a second glass of juice when a disheveled Yeong Su came out of his room, rubbing at his eyes. "Wow," he rasped. "That wasn't some dream. You're here."

"I am," Hye-rin puffed her chest out proudly. "And so's breakfast. Nothing fancy. But it's edible."

"I like edible," her brother reassured her. He sat at the small kitchen table. It was so out of place, being half the size of everything else around it, only meant for two people. A tiny glimpse at her brother's more economical aesthetic. Hye-rin put what she'd made in the center, and he looked it over with interest. "Ah, a live in chef."

"It's toast spread with nutella and topped with marshmallow bears and sliced strawberries," she replied, flatly. "Don't be so dramatic."

"You made the toast the way I like it though," He showed her the side without her sugary concoction on it. "And there's eggs."

"There'd be more if you stocked your kitchen!" Hye-rin pointed a fork his way accusingly. "We need to make a list, okay?"

"I...yeah, I guess you're right." The way he nibbled his toast like a chastised child took some of the wind from her sails. "I let things like that get away from me after Eun-kyung moved out. No one's been here to scold me,"

"Someone is now," she patted his arm, never having seen someone look so enthusiastic over the prospect of that.

Yeong Su graced her with another one of his positively doting smiles. "Tell me more about yourself." he suggested. "Anything you want."

Hye-rin took a bite of her toast, licking some of the spread off her upper lip. "Uh, I'm twenty-one. I was about to be a second year student at Kyungdong University. I studied biology but more specifically was on a track to sports medicine."

"That's a pretty competitive university," Her brother took a long gulp of his orange juice. "You know, usually I'd say between the juice and the toast it's too much sugar." he teased.

"Well, I couldn't figure out how to work your coffee maker. I didn't want to insult it."

Yeong Su peeked over at the daunting ebony and chrome model on the counter and laughed. "That was a gift. It's supposed to be a top of the line German model, and Eun-kyung was the one that could figure it out. I should've let her take it." Shaking his head, he ate a forkful of eggs and then motioned at her. "Back to you,"

"Not much about me is that interesting, oppa. I'm a surfer, but you already knew that. And going by that board I saw in your closet, you are too."

He nodded. 

"I play guitar, ukulele and the pan flute." she added. "In high school I was voted most likely to compete in the Olympics."

"I'm sure you're a talented athlete."

"You're biased." she giggled. 

"I'm getting to be a big brother now," he whispered. "Please just let me be encouraging."

Hye-rin could plainly see what this meant to him, and she ate her breakfast while giving him a thumbs up. “Go for it.”

”Thanks,” The older sibling took a deep breath. “You know...what Bangtan brought up yesterday did get me thinking. You’re an Omega,”

Hye-rin stilled, wondering if he was going to say he didn’t like that. One thing she had grasped was that outdated views on Omegas were a pain.

”So I was just thinking...what do you know about heats?”

”Are they like...hot flashes?” There was an older cousin in her mid-thirties on their father’s side who had those early. 

Yeong Su nearly choked. “N-no...it’s more like...you know, I know I said I wanted big brother privileges but I didn’t mean like this. I’d be more comfortable if you heard all this from a specialist. One of my buddies has an Omega girlfriend. It’s gonna be a little awkward, but I can ask who she sees.”

Hye-rin nodded along as though she had any notion what he meant.   
  
“In the meantime you should probably wear scent blockers when you go out, in case someone gets bold.” Just thinking back to the park, she couldn’t imagine what he’d say if he knew it’d already happened once. 

“Great. Since we’re establishing ground rules, can I put one forward?”

Yeong Su crammed the remainder of the toast in his mouth, massacring the marshmallow bears in one large bite. “Okay?”

”I want to find a job,” Hye-rin played with her hair. “It’s not going to be able to pull the figures you obviously do, but I should be doing something around here to help. I could buy groceries, and I wouldn’t have to borrow your clothes.”

Rubbing his chin, her brother snapped. “New clothes. That’s another thing you need. When I get back from meeting Bangtan we’ll shop for whatever else you’re gonna need. You can’t rotate through the same four outfits.”

”Five,” she corrected, “And I agree, but I also can’t depend on you for everything either. Hence the job request,”

Yeong Su wiped his mouth. ”Don’t you want to settle down and adjust before you go looking for work? I mean I’m not hurting for money and we both know it.” 

” _Yeongie-oppa_ ,”

Chugging the rest of his juice, he stood, grabbed his cleared plates, and patted her head. “Talk about it with me later. Gotta go get ready. You’ll be okay here for a few hours?”

”You know I will, but this isn’t over!” she yelled, ignoring his cutesy wave as he went back into his bedroom. “My brother’s the same no matter what universe...” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing the character interactions. Especially with Yeong Su and Hye-rin establishing their sibling dynamic. It’ll also be nice to be able to write some girl time scenes soon.
> 
> But of course, I did say this won’t stay lighthearted forever. There will be darker elements coming into play very soon. Look out for foreshadowing~


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin's good day is offset by a bad feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short but important chapter that I kind of liked. I hope readers like it too as we inch further into the meat of the plot lol

Left to her own devices, Hye-rin took the opportunity to familiarize herself a little bit more with the apartment. Even for two people, it felt almost too roomy. The place was at least tidy enough, making her wonder if her brother had someone to come in and help with cleaning.

The smell she was already coming to associate with Yeong Su lingered like a fine coating of dust in most places. Less messy and more pleasant, though. Much like most others she had been around, he had a rich fragrance, one of mint leaves and freshly brewed hazelnut beans. It reminded her of having a hot drink in a cozy café on a cloudy day after studying for exams. 

Settling on the sectional couch, Hye-rin found the remote to the large flat screen TV and decided to check the news. Any information she could find out about what was happening in the world was sure to make her feel less disoriented.

A local station did the weather, the attractive woman in a red top and pressed black skirt pointing to a map and explaining how the weather for the day was going to be sunny but probably not too hot.

She did the forecast for the rest of the week, then handed the broadcast back to a news anchor with a blinding smile. _'Either she really loves her job or she really loves the pay.'_ Hye-rin mused, _'I guess it could be both.'_

"Our next bit of news is sure to be satisfying to K-pop fans." The stern-looking anchor commented. Beside him was a young woman in a powder pink jacket with perfectly styled hair down her shoulders who looked far too excited to get on with the reporting. "It seems Lee Seung Hyun..."

"That's Seungri for those in the know," the woman chirped, chest puffed with pride.

"Yes," Her fellow anchor gave her a subtle look as he continued. "The idol known as Seungri from a popular group called Big Bang is drawing praise for his recent pledge to sponsor college students majoring in the sciences at several universities. He also gave a sizable amount to small universities in various cities to kickstart their own science programs for those who cannot afford to attend larger schools."

There was a small bit of footage, a man with short hair in a red and white Gucci suit waved for press, smiling as he walked a red carpet to what Hye-rin could only assume was an award show. Something sharp jolted her into sitting straighter, studying him very carefully.

He was a famous idol, clearly well off, and the odds they had ever met before were slim to none. The only idols she knew were BTS. In spite of that, something was prodding at her brain, causing the girl to lean over and place her head on the arm of the couch. 

The anchor that looked like he hadn't smiled in years kept talking. "Mr. Lee has..."

Once again, with a smile from ear to ear, the female anchor cut in. Hye-rin was sure she had on make up, but the bright pink hue of her cheeks almost appeared natural. "He's being very generous investing in the futures of those less fortunate and using his fame as a platform." gushed the pink-clad woman. It almost came across as if she was a fan...

Well, Hye-rin decided, that wasn't impossible. K-pop groups attracted admirers of all ages, from all walks of life. 

Clearing his throat rather sharply, the serious anchor went on while the woman looked away sheepishly. "When asked about his decision to select students and universities to donate to, he had this to say." 

Another clip ran, and Hye-rin subconsciously reached for the remote to turn up the sound a little. "A lot have asked why the sudden philanthropic urge," the reporter was explaining. "This isn't a group endeavor with your other members, it's solely your own money."

"Yes," Seungri nodded. "That's correct. As for why, well, it's simply that we've all been so successful in our careers. Fans world wide have put us where we are. Not everyone will have this fame, but everyone has their own dreams. I hope to help bring some of those to reality for the students."

Hye-rin curled her hand and pressed it to her lips, letting his words sink in. It was...well...perfect. So she really couldn't explain what was making her restless as she watched on.

"You chose the sciences, but not musical schools?" the reporter questioned. "Would you explain your choice?"

"I believe music can change the world, of course. It has changed my world, and the worlds of everyone in Big Bang. But, surely there's a need for other talents to shine in this country and not just idols?" he raised a brow, lips tilting up charmingly. "Science is the future. I'd like to see South Korea shock the world with bold innovations in those fields." 

"I see! That's an excellent wish." the reporter appeared impressed with the idol. There was no reason why he wouldn't be when Seungri had just given a very well-articulated reason for choosing to use his money the way he did.

The snippet of the interview ended, cutting back to the studio where the male anchor looked officially aggravated and his female co-anchor appeared oblivious.

They moved on from entertainment, to talk of a famous writer dying, but Hye-rin could only half listen at that point. Something was itching at the back of her head, but she couldn't place what precisely. 

"Alright, I'm heading out!" She whipped her head around so fast, there was some small worry of spraining her neck. Yeong Su had reentered the front room dressed for work. Which was more on the casual side. 

"You're leaving in that?" she wondered.

Frowning, her brother smoothed a hand down his shirt self-consciously. He wore a blue checkered shirt, sleeves pushed up to his elbows and a black vest pulled over it. Paired with his dark wash jeans and high tops, he looked like any other casual guy in his mid-twenties. Maybe that was the point. To be low-profile. "What's wrong with this?" he mumbled nervously.

"It just looks like what you wear to rehearse with your band..." she said under her breath. Shaking her head, Hye-rin spoke louder with an encouraging pump of her fist. "Nothing. You look fine. Just remember you still need to land this collaboration!"

He blinked, appearing curious. "Yeah? You think this is a make or break moment for me, huh?"

Hye-rin sat up and placed her feet down on the floor. "Definitely," she nodded sagely. The seriousness of the moment only lasted as long as they were able to fight off their silly grins. Both siblings broke into laughter the next second. "Honestly, I think you and Bangtan would both be okay if you never worked another day in your lives, but still, the world needs this collaboration. So get out there and make history for me."

Hye-rin was only hoping to give some light-hearted encouragement, but Yeong Su nodded, his eyes soft. "I've been in a lot of high pressure situations in my career, but not letting my little sister down tops the list easily." She started to say something to tell him she didn't mean it, but he was already bending down and pecking her head. "Thanks, I've got this. I don't think I've ever felt so motivated before in my life." After straightening his body back up, he began to walk backwards, smoothly maneuvering around the table Hye-rin knew for a fact she would hurt herself on if she tried that.

"I'm leaving this time for real. But you have my number in your phone, right?" 

He asked so sternly she had to giggle, holding up said cell to wave in the air at him, "Aye aye, oppa." 

Yeong Su ignored her teasing, waving his hand at the kitchen area. "I'm leaving one of my cards on the counter in case you want to order lunch or something while I'm gone. This isn't the day anyone shows up to clean or do a maintenance check, so if anyone unexpected shows up at the door, don't answer it. Call me and I'll..."

"Oppa," she held a hand up to stop him. "It's not the first time I've been home alone, relax," Hye-rin winked. 

"I know," Yeong Su tousled his hair, blowing out a loud breath. "Sorry, I just still can't believe this. I'm not trying to smother you I just...need to know you're okay."

"I am," she assured. "I promise I'd tell you if I wasn't. But," Looking down at her arm, Hye-rin tapped her wrist. "you're going to be late if you don't go, right? Your studio's not that close and there's probably some traffic to consider. Standing one of the biggest bands in the world up two days in a row wouldn't be a good look."

”Hah. Why look for a job when I can just hire you on as my PA?” Yeong Su joked. Hye-rin loved that despite having only met yesterday, they fell into the easy rhythm of a sibling dynamic that was years in the making. 

“Dunno if there’s enough pay out there for me to volunteer to take that on.” she returned cheekily.   
  
Yeong Su made a face, she made one back, then he waved on his way out the door. Hye-rin heard it lock behind him, and sat absently watching the TV for another five minutes or so. She didn’t intend to do it all day, but she also wasn’t sure what to do in the meantime. Sadly, she was still without a car, which limited her options for the time being.

Hye-rin remembered at that exact moment that one of the places her brother showed her was his home office, an impressive desktop computer smack in the middle of an oak desk. Retracing her steps, she peeked her head through the door and flipped on the light.   
  
If she was going to be by herself for the better part of the day, it was a perfect time to get a head start on the job search. She wasn’t sure how seriously Yeong Su had taken her request. Given the warm reception into his life she received so far, and his obvious desire to want to dote on her, Hye-rin would not put it past him to simply have her live with him rent free, paying for any and all expenses indefinitely.   
  
Grateful as she was for the roof over her head and the companionship, not putting in some effort to contribute didn’t sit right with her at all. Getting comfortable in the leather rolling chair, Hye-rin mentally crossed her fingers she would be able to find a password. Assuming he had one on it.

Picking up a promising sticky note from the edge of the desk, she read it curiously.   
  
“ _Just in case you wanted to use the computer for something, I went ahead and left you the PW. Don't look up anything too wild, though! Or at least pull up a private tab for it..._ ” Hye-rin rolled her eyes. Who was she supposed to be? A horny high school boy?

Disregarding her brother’s lame attempt at a joke, she keyed in the password he left behind. The monitor came to life with a short tune. Navigating to the internet browser, she cracked her fingers and settled in. ‘ _Okay...time to get to work.’_ Even if no one was around, the girl chortled over her pun, thinking briefly of Jin.

Aside from being the receptionist at a gym, she had also had a barista job at a coffee shop when she was a high school student. Then there was the summer she was an intern for a sports columnist editor. Granted, in her predicament it would be hard to put any references on her resume.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t see what was out there. She had done it before several weeks ago, but now Hye-rin had slightly more of a clue what was going on, so that was already a step in the right direction as far as she was concerned. 

The first posting result she got that piqued an interest was looking for a friendly, outgoing person willing to work late shifts at a karaoke bar. Heart beating anxiously, Hye-rin scrolled the page with her lip between her teeth, hoping she didn't find anything ruling her out.

It didn't mention anything about not wanting any Omegas to apply, and the only real requirement was someone needed to be punctual, have two references and be out of high school (presumably because the bar area served alcohol). Since it didn't state that the references given had to be professional ones, Hye-rin didn't rule out the possibility, saving the listing and moving on.

The next one to catch her eye was for a bakery, which was almost always a nice venue to work. Even better, they were _looking_ for Omegas! Getting excited, Hye-rin clicked the ad to continue reading. Some of the requirements were...unusual, but it could just be the way it worked in this world. Any Omega hoping to apply had to be eighteen or older with a clean bill of health from a doctor. The job title was "Slick Supplier", whatever that meant. And whoever the supplier was, would need to be ready and available to provide fresh slick samples once a week. They would be compensated a week's pay for each sample. 

It didn't sound like too bad a deal, but Hye-rin was pretty confused. It was a bakery position, but didn't require the person to come into the bakery? According to the description, the only time they were expected to come in was for the "drop off day". Wanting to make sure she wasn't missing anything, Hye-rin opened another tab and looked up the name of the bakery, Hot and Heavenly, quickly finding more information on the establishment. 

"Hot and Heavenly first came about in 2000 from a novel idea between good friends with interesting cravings. We have proudly provided our scrumptious confections for the consumption of anyone wanting to spice up their pallet with a slick-infused treat ever since! We have a wide selection for our clients, and we're sure to be able to match you with your next addiction. In fact, we guarantee our sweets are so good, you'll be licking your fingers for more! If you've never tried anything from us before and aren't sure what you'd like, stop by for a free taste sampling. Now offering delivery!" Hye-rin read aloud. "Even after reading all that...I'm still not sure I get it..."

Her phone picked the next second to ring, abruptly and loudly. The Omega palmed the space beside her without taking her eyes from the screen. The pictures of the desserts on their page certainly looked delicious. Finally, her fingers got a grip on the device and she pressed the button to take the call without really looking. "Hello?"

" _Hyerinie!_ " Her head whipped down instantly, not even noticing before the call she had taken was for a video chat. Pulling it out of the cradle between her neck and ear, Hye-rin rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

The low but excitable voice of Taehyung had startled her. "Oh, h-hi! Sorry, sorry...I was distracted."

He grinned a little, dark eyes brightening. " _It's okay. But why didn't you come by the studio today? Didn't you want to see me?_ " he pouted.

Aish, to think he was older than her... "Well you know, after yesterday I really didn't want to be too much of a distraction." she explained. "I thought you'd be talking about songs with Yeong Su right this minute."

" _We are_ ," Tae nodded. " _Well, it's the hyungs who are up first. Some of the songs on the album won't just be group tracks. Yeong Su-sunbae suggested subunits too, so after we decide who's pairing off with who, and for what kinds of songs, we'll go from there._ "

" _Oh_ ," Hye-rin hummed. "That's going to be cool! I haven't gotten through your entire discography but some of the subunit combinations you've come up with before really surprised me, in a good way."

" _You're going to buy the album, right?_ " Taehyung brought his phone close enough for her to see his lip wobble up close. " _I'll sign it if you do._ "

"Sure, sign me up for ten copies." Hye-rin laughed. "Right after I find a job I'll be sure I blow my first month's pay on your music and merchandise."

He laughed too. " _Spoken like a true ARMY. What kind of job are you looking at?_ "

"Um, I just started the search," she revealed with a shrug. "But it's promising. I found a position for a karaoke bar, and another one for a bakery." Taehyung seemed interested, so she went on, "There's just one thing I don't get about the second job..."

" _What about it?_ "

" _Taehyungie! They didn't have the flavor of juice you wanted, and you said no soda, so I just brought a water._ " A light, melodic voice filtered through the phone. Hye-rin couldn't explain why, but she didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing that voice. The amount of happiness it brought her was so great, if she had a tail, it would be wagging uncontrollably.

Truth be told it wasn't just Jimin's angelic voice that had that affect on her either. Being in the same room as Matthew also made her want to wag her nonexistent tail, see that wide grin light up his face. And, if she thought deeper, Hye-rin was sure she'd had that reaction to all the members of Bangtan and their friends (now her friends too) at one point or another. Almost a strong urge to please that came from somewhere deep inside.

"Jimin!" she waved.

Hearing his name, the young man bounced up behind Taehyung, peeking into the camera cutely. " _Hyerinie!_ " he waved back just as enthusiastically. " _Why aren't you here?_ " 

" _I asked her that too. She said she doesn't want to be a distraction._ " Taehyung explained.

" _You didn't ask us, though._ " Jimin glared half-heartedly. " _Maybe we want to be distracted._ "

Hye-rin raised a brow. "That so?" The boys nodded together. "It might be how you two feel, but I don't think anyone else would appreciate me making you goof off. Anyway, you have your work, and I'm trying to find mine."

" _You never finished saying what confused you about the job,_ " Tae reminded her, uncapping the water Jimin got him. 

"Oh yeah," Hye-rin looped a piece of hair around her index finger and cocked her head, looking at the desserts on the screen again. "This bakery ad says they're looking for healthy Omegas who are at least eighteen to be slick suppliers. I don't really get how it's a bakery position, but I'd only have to go into work on 'drop off days'." 

It garnered a very interesting reaction from both boys. Jimin's jaw dropped, eyes bugging out as the small sip of juice he'd taken leaked from the corner of his mouth. It was Taehyung, by far, who had the most theatrical reaction to the piece of news.

Having been in the middle of chugging his water, it came spurting out of his mouth and nose when he started to choke. Hye-rin leaned forward with a cry of concern as the dark-haired boy almost flopped over like a puppet with cut strings. Jimin leapt to his aid, rubbing his back and helping him sit back up.

He coughed, a lone tear leaking from one eye as he tried to catch his breath. Unable to do more than frown and watch, Hye-rin stayed quiet until she was sure Taehyung would be okay. Jimin was tucked up into him on the couch, legs drawn into his side and leaning into the other boy, practically draped across him now.

"I...what was _that_ about?" she demanded. "I mean clearly with a reaction that strong you know what this is talking about?"

" _...So you really don't even know what slick is?_ " Taehyung asked. Hye-rin blinked. His voice sounded even deeper, and he was watching her from under his full lashes with a look she couldn't place. 

"Judging by the ad, it's...got something to do with Omegas and bakeries can cook with it." she said slowly, not wanting to embarrass herself. They were already fully informed about just how little knowledge she possessed, but why show that off.

" _You can do a lot more than cook with it,_ " Taehyung's tongue darted out over his top lip, and Hye-rin thought she saw the peak of a sharp canine in his mouth. " _Slick comes from Omegas. Only Omegas._ "

She really couldn't tell where the conversation was going, or why Taehyung's voice sounded so rough. There was also a warmth spreading in her belly and flaring in the juncture between her thighs that had her shifting. Jimin, his face now pressed fully into Taehyung's neck, was making small noises, soft whines?

Hye-rin also noticed her friend was visibly shaking, making her alarm grow further. "Is he...okay?"

Flicking an icy glance down to the boy on his shoulder, Taehyung placed a hand at the back of his boyfriend's neck and tugged. " _Answer her. You_ okay, _Jimin?_ " Slowly, the pink-haired Beta's face peeled away from no doubt warm skin, to reveal his cheeks were the same hue as his hair. He was sucking his bottom lip hard, eyes only meeting hers briefly before he was looking away again.

"If the conversation's making you uncomfortable, forget I mentioned it." Hye-rin offered, totally at a loss. "I should..." Her phone rang again, this time with a normal call. "Oh wait, another call... Can I put you guys on hold?"

Jimin nodded rapidly, so she gave them an awkward smile and switched to pick up the second call. "Hello?"

" _Hye-rin! You didn't call first so we called you._ "

Jiwoo's voice sent another pleasant shock and short thrill through her system, some of the tension from the conversation with the boys falling away.

"Hey Jiwoo!" she greeted. "Sorry, I was going to give you a call after lunch in case you had a busy morning."

" _Oh, no need._ " Somin's voice chimed in. " _We'll all be able to chat normally soon._ "

For the second time since getting up, Hye-rin felt a cloud of confusion settle over her head. "Aren't we already doing that?"

" _No, no!_ " Somin giggled, " _We just arrived in Sokcho. We decided to leave the café to the boys today. To come see you._ "

" _And go shopping,_ " Jiwoo put in. 

Hye-rin scrambled to her feet. True, Sokcho and Seoul were about three hours apart by car, but she'd never expected her friends to surprise her with a visit. "No way! Do you even know where oppa lives?"

" _No,_ " Jiwoo chuckled. " _The internet has a lot of interesting things about him, but not that._ " 

Shaking her head, she couldn't help but crack a smile. "I guess I better give you the address then." Looking down at herself, Hye-rin slapped a hand over her face. "And get some clothes on." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: So I know a controversial figure appeared... and I want to say it wasn't without a good reason. I want to make it known I am in no way making light of Burning Sun. That's...now and forever not okay. This is a work of fiction not meant to have bearing on how individuals represented in the fic are thought of in real life, for better or worse. Without giving too much away plotwise, pay very close attention to the context of this appearance. 
> 
> Anyway, this is kind of the beginning as far as the darker shift in plot I spoke about. There will still be cute and fluffy scenes but don't think I won't deliver on my promise of angst and heavy topics. It'll be angst with an eventual happy ending, if that helps. I also am kind of liking using Hye-rin's lack of knowledge to my advantage while I can. She's going to be flustering people left and right because it builds some pretty delicious scenarios up later. 
> 
> I’d love some interaction on how everyone’s feeling so faaar with the reveals of this chapter~


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping with friends could be just what the doctor ordered, but...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! Readers got a completely different take away from last chapter than the one I was expecting. XD That being said, don't be too hard on poor Hye-rin. She's trying and she will get there as far as everything she needs to know. More of that in this chapter.
> 
> Warning: Some explicit M/M spiciness not suitable for underaged or sensitive readers. This includes mutual masturbation, oral sex (male receiving), dirty language and anal fingering.

After the giddiness of the call from the girls, Hye-rin quickly switched back over to her held call with Jimin and Taehyung, apologizing for the wait. Taehyung's eyes weren't as glazed, and Jimin offered her tentative eye contact, so hopefully whatever awkwardness had come about as a result of her musing had passed. The boys had to go soon after, and she wished them a productive day in the studio before ending the call. 

Figuring out the shower took time, even after Yeong Su's lengthy explanation, but Hye-rin managed it, only scalding herself twice. As far as clothes went, she didn't have much, but that was exactly what she wanted to rectify soon.

She didn't need a closet full of high-end, expensive things, but more than five outfits _would_ be nice. In the meantime, she would work with what she had. Toweling off, locating some lotion that smelled kind of masculine, and borrowing some unopened deodorant, the girl was ready with plenty of time. Her friends said to give them forty minutes to pick her up, and she had about half that left. 

Wanting to be sure she didn't give her brother a heart attack, Hye-rin texted a quick message explaining she now had plans for the day. After mentioning that they were with Somin and Jiwoo, the friends he had met over the phone, she stopped texting. He would probably respond when he saw the messages later.

Presently, there was a more pressing matter on her mind. The job. The bakery position caused such a strong, strange reaction with the boys, her curiosity was through the roof. It couldn't be anything ordinary, and since the one word she was unclear on was "slick", something Taehyung told her could only come from Omegas, that was where she wanted to start. 

Fingers flying confidently, Hye-rin typed in "omega slick description", finding an entry on a free medical journal that looked promising. However, as she began reading, her cheeks colored deeply and her jaw dropped. _"Slick is a self-lubricating substance produced by Omegas after beginning puberty, that will then typically be produced for the rest of their life. Amount varies from individual to individual and may decrease over time in advanced age or due to illness. Slick is semi-translucent and is most commonly secreted before and during a heat cycle to signal the preparation of an Omega's body for estrus, or peak sexual fertility. However, an Omega is capable of producing slick when heavily aroused, even outside this period. In male Omegas, although they are not capable of pregnancy, slick secretes from the rectum. In female Omegas, slick secretes from the vagina. In intersex Omegas the source of secretion varies depending on the genitalia of the individual."_

After reading the paragraph, Hye-rin could barely get her phone on the table before diving head first into the couch cushions. That was definitely something she'd never heard of back home! Knowing what she knew now, it painted a much more intimate picture of this bakery, the name itself a big clue, in hindsight. 

Flipping onto her back, Hye-rin pressed the palms of her hands into her eyelids heavily and groaned long and loud. "I just told them I was considering a job there! They probably...they probably think..." She was too mortified to finish considering what the attractive idols were thinking.

And considering the intimate nature of what she knew slick to be, what kind of bakery ran on the gimmick of _putting it in food_?

Was it normal, or something that catered more to deviants? Deciding she was too far down the rabbit hole not to pursue the corresponding knowledge, Hye-rin mustered up her courage (still red-faced) and searched for “omega slick cooking”.

What she found were business listings dotted across the country, proving that Hot and Heavenly was not the only bakery catering to such...tastes. In fact, the businesses were carefully government regulated!

Once she got over her initial shock and embarrassment, it started to fascinate her. These special bakeries were not without a demand, she learned. While slick served a biological purpose, it also had appeal outside of being a natural lubricant.

According to her searching, Hye-rin found claims that slick had a unique taste distinct to each Omega. One tied to their one-of-a-kind scent. Reading that, Hye-rin thought about what Jimin had taught her.

Supposedly, everyone had scent glands not just on the side of their necks but one on each wrist. Attempting to sniff along her arm didn’t reveal much to her. In her opinion she smelled more like Yeong Su’s bath products than anything. 

Shrugging it off, the Omega checked a few forums. People didn’t all go to bakeries to get their fill of specialty desserts. Slick bakeries had apparently started to cater to Alphas who were alone during their “ruts” and calmed by the flavor of slick-infused cake on their tongue.

Still getting use to the idea that this was out in the open and viewed as a legitimate service, Hye-rin blushed, chewed her lip, and read on. Betas and occasionally Omegas also visited slick bakeries, though. Some people just enjoyed the taste. Go figure.

But according to the forums, for people fond of such treats who were lucky enough to be in a relationship with a willing Omega, they also cooked with slick at home.

The message threads were full of people tastefully describing their experiences with different recipes they tried and recommending various combinations based on the type of taste an Omega had.

All of it was a lot to take in, but, one thing became clear. Hye-rin didn’t see herself following through with the job listing at Hot and Heavenly. The idea of a stranger eating her— Clapping a hand over her cheeks, the flustered girl did her best to ward off the mental images.   
  
A short chime alerted her to the fact that she’d received a text, and it turned out to be from Yeong Su.

 **Yeongie-oppa** : _I don’t mind if you use the card I left on the counter to shop for clothes, but don’t leave without applying scent blockers first! They’re in the bathroom drawer. Slather it on like sunscreen if you have to. And text me updates if you’re gone more than an hour._

Hye-rin considered the instructions reasonable, so she texted back in the affirmative and jogged her way to the bathroom. He hadn’t specified which, but she just decided to check his first.

The top drawer didn’t have anything except spare razors, an unopened box of soap and a scrunchie that looked out of place.

Shutting it, Hye-rin moved on to the drawer beneath it, immediately finding a box with a broken seal with a label reading, “Aju: Scent Away!”

The description said it was an environmentally friendly scent blocker guaranteed to last sixteen hours without fading. it came in a stick form that looked like roll-on deodorant and the directions explained it needed to be applied to all scent gland locations thoroughly.

Hye-rin carefully put it on each wrist, finding out it was clear, no traces it had ever been applied. Then, she moved her hair aside and tilted her head to get it on her neck.

She really wasn’t sure how to tell if it had been used liberally enough, but it certainly felt like she slathered herself. Of course, the more important question was how to tell if it’d worked at all. That, she supposed, wouldn’t be possible to determine until she set foot outside the apartment. 

Right on time, the doorbell rang, prompting Hye-rin to set the scent blocker back in its box and then put that away.

“Coming!” she hollered, making sure she had the extra key to the apartment Yeong Su gave her, along with her phone, his credit card and her faithful backpack. Putting everything important away for safe keeping, Hye-rin glimpsed through the peep hole. Somin and Jiwoo were really there, in the flesh.

* * *

"Ooh! Turn this one up!" Jiwoo exclaimed. "I want to try doing the rap part."

Somin obliged with an indulgent smile, glancing into the backseat as they came to a stoplight. "Matthew-oppa produced and wrote this one." she explained, as Jiwoo began matching the flow of the artist's rap verse for verse. 

Hye-rin listened more intently, impressed that she knew people who had actually created songs that were on the radio. The beat echoed through her body, stirring up the urge to get lost in it completely, the way she always did at home with her family. Instead, she settled for bobbing her head to the rhythm as Jiwoo's rapping got more intense, and Somin pulled off with a giggle. 

The drive to the mall was taking longer because of early afternoon traffic, but she didn't really mind. Her heart was full of warmth that her friends had driven all this way just to surprise her with a shopping trip. It helped Hye-rin reshuffle her thoughts, away from the information she'd found that morning and the lingering questions it brought on. 

"Where should we start first?" Somin asked as soon as the song ended. 

That was a good question. Her wardrobe back home wasn't stuffed full like some girls, but she had enough to last her through every season. Jackets, shorts, pants, every kind of shirt and even dresses and skirts Choonhee talked her into. "I guess essentials would be good. I can't just borrow Yeong-oppa's bath supplies."

"Then we can start there and work our way up from shoes and panties to outfits." suggested Jiwoo.

"And cute accessories!" Somin squealed.

The blonde huffed, amused. "For you or Hye-rin?" 

"Well, we could both find something." her girlfriend replied sheepishly.

The girls kept up their light conversation, arriving at the mall within the next twenty minutes. 

Hye-rin got out and looked around at the large multi-floored building. It was the same mall she had been familiar with all her life, but for some reason today it was daunting. Just another unknown she was facing. Did Omegas need special products? Jiwoo nudged her arm, skipping by and tugging her hand. "Ready to shop til you drop?"

If she was honest, Hye-rin had reservations that had nothing to do with her friends. This was just more confirmation that she truly had to start from scratch, and the thought made her problem of not knowing how to get home come full circle again.

On the other hand, if nothing else she knew she was in good hands with the girls. Jiwoo and Somin were both so fashionable and cool. Jiwoo with her bad girl chic, wearing a white halter top under a cropped sports jacket and white shorts that made her legs go on for days. Her wedge ankle boots looked comfortable but new, and she'd already slipped her sunglasses down over her eyes.

Somin was a vision in soft pastels, a cropped pink hoodie sporting a picture of a palm tree and the words "Malibu" arced across the chest in bubble letters. Like Jiwoo, she'd chosen to spend the summer day in shorts. White denim cutoffs with black lace trimming around the legs. Although instead of boots, she wore comfortable athletic sneakers. Cupping some hair behind her ear and securing it with a sparkling hairclip, she extended her palm to Jiwoo. 

Maintaining her grip on Hye-rin's arm, Jiwoo reached for Somin with her free hand, and the tangerine-haired girl intertwined their fingers with a sweet blush. They had all the beauty and grace of a celebrity power couple, and Hye-rin had to fight down the feelings of inadequacy that surfaced just from standing next to them. 

Naturally they drew stares almost as soon as they entered the mall, and Hye-rin ducked her head and shied away from the attention. She was positive it was really Jiwoo and Somin that people were captivated by. Some onlookers were no doubt wondering who the plain girl trailing after them was. 

"We can try this store first." Jiwoo announced, breaking her train of thought. She'd let go of Hye-rin's hand to point at a well-known lingerie store called Vixxen. Hye-rin backed away, eyes wide.

"Should I just wait outside for you?" 

"No, we're going to find you bras and panties; you need to come in so we can get the size right." 

Both girls tugged on her hands, Hye-rin wondering if what she'd gotten herself into would end up as awkward as this morning. The thought quickly fell away at the sight of a variety of undergarment styles, including some more modest ones she wouldn't mind getting. Somin and Jiwoo knew what they were doing after all.

"But I also think you would be so pretty in this." Somin held up a half-sheer piece that was pink and covered in black ribbons.

Or maybe...her friends were trying to do the job the internet had started and kill her. 

* * *

The mall was crowded, it was tourist season, and so the odds should have been against him. But, he always saw himself as a lucky man. And as long as he had that luck, he didn't plan on changing. He, like all the other members of the operation, were told about the one who got away. The Omega that slipped through their grasp. It wasn't like the boss to fixate, but he seemed to have a vested interest in her, aside from as just a loose end. 

He sipped his coffee, hardly caring that it was hot enough to scald. Running a gloved hand under his chapped lip, he reached into his pocket for the tube of lip balm he always carried. 

When he boarded the escalator down to the first floor, replacing the tube in his pocket, was when a streak of luck hit him like a bolt from the sky. There she was, standing and chatting with two beautiful girls. Shame all three weren't targets. He had his marching orders, though, and he would stick to them.

At any sign of the half-breed girl, they were supposed to phone to confirm. Sliding out his cell, he stealthily opened the camera setting, trying to get a decent angle for a clear shot. It was frustrating that there was an elderly woman and two small children trying to squeeze past him to reach a lower step. He only had a small window of time. With a glower and a low snarl, the few people who had heard it moved aside hastily, and he was free to take his shot. Snapping a quick couple of pictures, he noticed by the time he took the last one, the little Omega had caught him looking. 

She was clearly uncomfortable, but he was too thrilled to care. They turned away from each other at the same time as he sent the pictures to the next person up in the chain of command. " _This your half-breed Omega girl?_ " he typed. 

The reply he received didn't take long. " _Shit. Yeah, she matches the physical description from our police informant. I'll make sure Boss sees these. Good work._ " 

Yeah, if he played his cards right... a promotion and all the benefits that came with it could be in his near future.

* * *

Ever since that one little phone call, Jimin had been having the _worst_ day. Taehyung had taken one long, pitying look at him as Hoseok came into the lounge and said it was their turn to discuss songs. The singer had done the best he could to adjust himself, thankful that he had chosen to wear a loose shirt and tugging the hem as he awkwardly followed his packmates out. It was a struggle to sit there, acting casual and professional, but Tae made it look so easy, and no one else seemed any wiser. 

He really didn't have a choice but to keep it together. Looking Yeong Su in the eye and blurting out something about his sister was probably a good way to walk away with a bloody nose. Several times, someone would ask him questions about the arrangement of the lyrics, or if he thought the chorus needed a rapid beat or soft instrumentals. While not all of them were songwriters, generally all of them took an interest in the process and gave input on tracks.

Yeong Su suggested Jimin trying a new addition to the lyrics, telling him he wanted to hear one of his signature high notes. But, right as he got to his lines, some very compromising thoughts circled through his head, and the vocalist started to choke. Taehyung shot him a look, expression unreadable. Yeong Su stopped strumming his guitar immediately, Namjoon cupping a large hand on his dongsaeng's shoulder and asking if he was alright. 

Bright red, Jimin tried to hide his face, nodding shakily. It was lucky for him everyone just thought he was embarrassed about his mistake. They didn't know the half of it...

Dinner time rolled around. Jin and Yoongi fixed a table full of delicious dishes ranging from bean sprout soup to kalbi, and everyone was digging in. As usual, food was constantly being fed to someone from the end of chopsticks or occasionally from hands.

Namjoon talked excitedly with Yoongi about how the collaboration session had gone that day, and even the most hesitant member among them seemed pleased. 

Taehyung was bickering lightly with Jin, Hoseok laughing and teasing both equally. Jimin tried to focus on his glass noodles, but they kept slipping from the end of his chopsticks because he was distracted. Not clearing at least one helping from your plate was an easy way to end up in Jin's bad books (unless there was a legitimate reason, like feeling sick) so he was doing his best to eat slowly but steadily. 

Heat brushed at his side, breath fanning his neck as Jungkook leaned into him. "Hyung, aren't you hungry?" The maknae was already halfway through a second serving, at times eating by himself and at times being fed by someone else.

Not wanting to draw too much attention to himself, Jimin quietly grit his teeth as he smacked his knee hard by accident. "I ate a lot yesterday, so I need to slow down today." he tried. 

Jungkook nodded, "Do you want me to help you?" he offered, his chopsticks inching closer.

"Worry about finishing your own plate first." Jin admonished, whirling around to yell in the next second. Taehyung had eaten the bit of rice Jin was in the process of bringing to his mouth, further aggravating their hyung. 

Pouting just a bit, Jungkook went back to eating his own food, and Jimin made a strong effort to push any and everything inappropriate from his head to focus on enjoying the food and his pack's company.

All was going well, considering, until Jin announced they also had dessert. Jungkook and Hoseok cheered as the oldest brought out some makgeolli ice cream, while Taehyung stood up and helped pass out bowls. Jimin had barely finished his dinner, never mind dessert being an option. 

"We haven't had this in a long time, have we?" Namjoon remarked, accepting his bowl.

"We found it in the store yesterday, and Jin said we had to have it." Yoongi explained, content to let the others serve themselves first.

Jimin stared into his empty bowl, gulping. Their leader was right. They hadn't had this kind of ice cream since last summer, and it was so decadent not savoring it was impossible. The rich flavor was something between a sorbet and the creaminess of traditional ice cream, with just a hint of sourness from the addition of the rice wine. As the others took turns spooning some into their bowls, Jimin sat quietly having an internal crisis.

For some reason, despite knowing the taste well, the only flavor that came to mind was cinnamon sugar and ripe berries.

Heat crawled persistently up his neck. He couldn't do this. When Hoseok tried to offer him the scoop and ice cream tub, Jimin shook his head with a mutter. "I...I don't want any right now."

"How can you be too full for this? It's makgeolli ice cream." Jungkook prodded his cheek playfully with his cold, ice-cream filled spoon. 

"Just save him some. I'm pretty full already myself. I think I'll wait until later too." Yoongi was such a good hyung, trying to stick up for him like that.

"Thank you," Jimin threw his empty plate away and put his bowl back on the counter. "I'm going upstairs for a while."

The others all told him bye and happily started to dig in. Even Yoongi caved and had a bite the minute Hobi pressed his spoon to their hyung's lips. Jimin walked as fast as he could without raising suspicion, but as soon as he was around the corner and out of sight, the dancer tripped up the stairs with a groan. 

It was so _wrong_ for him to be fixating on this. ' _She didn't know. She didn't know. She didn't know._ ' he reminded himself, pressing a palm over his crotch. The answering twitch told him his cock didn't care.

Jimin burst into his room and shut the door, already loosening his jeans. Falling back on the bed, he closed his eyes and rubbed himself a few times, recalling the conversation. It wasn't hard, because the words had been on repeat at random intervals in his mind all day.

Button undone and zipper loose, he began to slide a hand down beneath his waistband. Well, Yoongi-hyung was definitely right. All it took was the mental image of Hye-rin presenting herself like a gift ready to be unwrapped and he was painfully hard. Just as his hand locked around his length, the door was thrown open, Jimin's eyes flying wide.

"I knew it," Taehyung strode in and kicked the door shut, reaching behind him to lock it without breaking eye contact. "You've been thinking about it all day, haven't you?"

All the pink-haired boy could manage was a whine over being interrupted before he could bring himself any relief. "You were there. How're you not effected by what she said?"

His packmate, his _soul_ mate was leaning over him in an instant, swatting his hand away to replace with his larger one and groping at his erection. Jimin bucked, feeling Taehyung seize his other hand and guide it to his own clothed crotch. The smaller boy gasped as his fingers brushed over the telling bulge. "Who says I'm not? I almost popped a knot when she said that." the velvety husk of Taehyung's voice across his lips was too tempting, and Jimin leaned up to connect their mouths. 

Being pinned really didn't matter, because he could give as good as he got, and when Taehyung licked into his mouth, Jimin was ready. The hand between his legs had pushed into his boxers, the friction of heavy petting making a moan vibrate between their locked mouths. Their tongues lapped together, Taehyung pulling back long enough to suck at his lips. His cock gave another jerk at the sensation, and he ran his nails back and forth over the length beneath his own palm, returning the favor. 

"How would you want her?" The question made him stiffen, squirming in frustration as Taehyung's fingers grew still. He planted a firm kiss against Jimin's cheek, then one on his jaw, supporting himself so they were no longer chest to chest, a small margin of space between them. "I bet Jin-hyung could make so many desserts for us with it." The thought made his hips rise in another involuntary buck as his boyfriend paid careful attention to the side of his neck, nipping lazily. "We could get her warmed up. We could learn all her sweet spots." 

Jimin loved the idea of that. Someone new to mark, a brand new flavor of skin to explore. What kind of touches would she give him? Taehyung nipped harder into his neck, then laved his tongue soothingly over the bruising mark. Unable to help himself, his mouth fell open in a pant, and he fumbled to ease his mate's pants down.

The night he had taught her about scenting, there was something so satisfactory about how receptive she was. At the time, there was nothing sexual about the intimacy of it, but he loved that she trusted him enough to follow his lead. Now, laying under a horny Taehyung and just as ready to get off, all the Beta could think about was how they could make her fall apart.

A warm palm skimmed up his side, under his shirt, pushing it out of the way. "You think she likes her nipples played with as much as you do?"

Now Jimin couldn’t help but wonder. Taehyung's wicked mouth briefly licked over the tattoo scrawled across his ribs, fingers tweaking the already hardened peak of his nipple. 

"Omegas in preheat..." Jimin managed to pant, "usually have a lot of sensitivity there...b-because their breasts get tender." 

Tae sucked the opposite nipple, scraping his teeth over the flesh until a pleasant buzz hummed through Jimin's whole body. "Which means she might gush slick just from being touched there alone." He finally got his hand wrapped around Taehyung's fully erect cock as his partner shucked out of his pants and boxers, stroking from root to tip. "Jin could put the mixing bowl under her and let her drip right into the batter." 

Jimin keened with eyes closed, lost in the sensory overload and the filthy words. Hye-rin, sweet, tomboyish Hye-rin leaking copious amounts of slick into a bowl of cake batter just for them. "K-Kookie would try to eat the whole bowl before it cooked." Their muscular, not so little maknae had already shed some of his trademark shyness around the girl.

If their friendship with Hye-rin ever progressed to the point where this dirty fantasy could be made into reality, Jungkook would most likely try and slurp down the batter. And then put her on the counter and eat her out like a midnight snack. 

"He would," Taehyung agreed. "He's a greedy, spoiled baby and he already loves her scent." Which meant he would definitely love her taste. Jimin was positive there wasn't a single one of them who hadn't done a double take and maybe had a few whiffs more than was strictly polite when she was nearby. It was just that some of them were more subtle about it than others. 

Fingers hooking into his waistband and dragging his opened pants down prompted Jimin to lift and wriggle his hips in aid. Taehyung hummed in approval, tongue swiping at his lower lip as he leaned in again. Gripping him by the base, he gave the swollen head a firm lick that made Jimin's toes curl. "The only thing better than tasting her in Jin-hyung's cooking would be tasting her from the source." 

Clutching desperately at Taehyung's shoulders as strong hands hooked themselves under his thighs, Jimin almost came as soon as the warm lips enveloped his tip. Tae hollowed his cheeks, and he mewled. While the heavy weight of a tongue swiped under his sensitive cockhead, Jimin could see himself pressing kisses all over Hye-rin's petite body. Prying her thick thighs open and appreciating the sight of slick dripping down before diving in.

He hardly even realized the grip on his legs had shifted to control the pace as he rutted into Taehyung's mouth. Jimin didn't care. He was getting blown off to the vivid mental imagery of Hye-rin's slick running down his throat. 

Slurps, pants and mumbled curses filled the air, which was perfumed with the musk of their combined arousal. Still, the fragrance of berries and cinnamon sugar taunted him, combining richly with the citron and amber that made up Taehyung's scent, and the honey and green apples of his own. As he kept moving, the lips around him suctioned tighter. Jimin spurted with a lengthy moan, Taehyung drinking him all down with ease. Spent, the pink-haired singer laid back to catch his breath as the mouth that brought him to orgasm released with a wet noise. 

Contrary to the being of lust and sin he had been moments before, Taehyung gave him a boyishly lopsided grin, cum and saliva connecting them mouth to cock in a pearly string. Swiping his tongue out broke it, his boyfriend smacking his lips in satisfaction. 

"Taehyungie," Jimin whined, his dick flaccid but already showing signs of coming to life at Tae's lewd action. 

"Better?" he petted Jimin's pink head and pecked his lips. If anything, the taste of himself only served to arouse him further.

"Yeah," he smirked evilly as they separated. "Now you." 

After both of them were naked from the waist down, Jimin began a steady pace with the twisting strokes that always drove Taehyung crazy. Though he'd just spent himself, Tae reaching out to stroke his cock to half-mast through the sensitivity got his blood rushing through his ears.

He could feel his fingers getting wet, spreading the pre-cum from the tip and down and the shaft. Occasionally they'd meet for sloppy kisses, their hands never slowing. "Jiminie," the raspy sound of Taehyung edging closer was really doing a number on his dick, which was hard again. He offered the curly-haired boy his thumb, and it disappeared into the moist cavern of his mouth without hesitation. 

A skilled tongue swirled around the digit, suckling vigorously. Not wanting to cum from the sensation before he helped Taehyung, Jimin removed his hand. Taehyung's breath hitched as the soaked digit pressed slowly into his puckered hole. "So close," he whimpered, the bulbous knot of his cock making an appearance. "Jiminie, please, close!"

In response, Jimin drove his thumb deeper into the sponginess and pulled it out, only to repeat. That along with the firm, sustained tugs to his cock had Taehyung shouting out, not even attempting to be quiet. Cum exploded out of him, ropes of it landed between their opened legs, Jimin's hand, and the last of it shooting so far it splashed his stomach. 

Looking down at the mess they'd made, all the singer could do was giggle, removing his hands from Taehyung and swiping two fingers across his abdomen. He was sucking his fingers clean, Taehyung bleary eyed and sated beside him, when he happened to catch a new scent through the fog of post-orgasmic bliss. 

Namjoon stood in the doorway, shifting uncomfortably, and it was unclear just how long he'd been standing there. "Hyung!" 

"I...we just wanted to check on you, so I thought I'd come do it..." Swallowing, Jimin watched the Alpha stare down at them with undeniable heat. Seeming to mentally smack himself, he offered them a dorky thumbs up. "Are you...okay?"

Jimin gaped, Taehyung starting to giggle. He couldn't help but join him. Namjoon had his moments, he could pull submission out of just about anyone in the bedroom, even if it was buried deep down inside a tough Alpha. But, like most of them, there was a switch. And when it wasn't on, their commanding, no-nonsense leader became an awkward, blushing dorky mess. 

"Fine, hyung," Tae snorted. "But could you close the door? It's kind of chilly with it open." He began to roll over, probably to go and clean himself up. But something dawned on him, and he paused, "Is that...the door handle?" 

Jimin looked over in time to see Namjoon sheepishly hiding something behind his back. "I...I'm sorry. I just thought if I turned it harder..."

"You didn't think it could just be locked?" It wasn't the first time Jimin considered whether or not Namjoon's genius IQ could flip on and off too. "This is a rental, hyung..."

"I know," he mumbled, staring sadly at the door knob in his hand. "I'll get right on fixing it, I promise." All the sexual tension had been blissfully expelled from both of them, and now if not for their state of undress and the smell in the air, it might be just like any other time the pack Alpha was carelessly destructive.

"You mean you'll call someone to fix it." Taehyung corrected. "Right?"

As if the situation couldn't be anymore ridiculous, Namjoon raised the handle as if he were making a toast, "Right."

Sharing a look with Taehyung, Jimin cocked his head. "Okay well...we should shower now, so..." 

"Oh, of course!" Handle still raised high, the older boy bowed, pointlessly shutting the door on his way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holiday season to everyone celebrating. Please spend it safely. Consider this chapter a gift. lol
> 
> Little by little, things are progressing, and um, yeah, this story's first bit of smut. Muy caliente, I hope. But probably not. XD I have to admit I don't want to clutter the fic with a huge amount of tags, so I probably won't have a drugstore length receipt list of what details are in the smut, but I will give a warning at the beginning of each chapter before it shows up. And if it's anything particularly over the top I will make sure the warning is detailed. 
> 
> I live for the commentary from readers because I never know what's going to stand out in chapters for everyone. Sometimes it takes me completely off guard, but I love that. Anyone want to guess where the plot could be going next? 
> 
> Also, I believe someone asked what everyone's second genders are? Hoseok, Namjoon and Yoongi are Alphas because hell yeah, Alpha rapline. Jin and Jimin are Betas. Taehyung and Jungkook are Alphas. In KARD, Somin, J.Seph and Matthew are Alphas. Jiwoo is a Beta. Yeong Su is a Beta if it matters, and Hye-rin is of course the sole Omega between them all. But other familiar faces will turn up as Omegas in time.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somin, Jiwoo and Hye-rin decide maybe a girl's day should turn into a girl's night, complete with sulking party-crashers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sweeter, to balance out some of the tension building via the last couple. Nothing but Hye-rin, KARD and fluffiness

The parfait in front of her was so adorable. Even in the plastic to-go cup it came in, there was no overlooking the careful artistry of the fruit and cream swirled together in a layered design. Normally, Hye-rin would be digging in with delight.   
  
Sitting across from her at the circular table, Somin and Jiwoo were already eating . She tried to keep her eyes on her own food, not wanting to be creepy. It was just sweet how they shared an order of kimchi.

Somin cupped a hand beneath her eating utensil to keep any from spilling. Jiwoo leaned forward to meet her halfway, accepting the bite from the end of Somin’s chopsticks. The tangerine-haired girl giggled, raising a napkin to dab at the edge of the blonde’s mouth.

Hye-rin was glad they felt comfortable being affectionate and acting like a couple in front of her. Her heart melted when they shared a brief kiss, Somin pointing out her girlfriend’s breath was spicy to which Jiwoo retorted that hers was too.

Hiding a grin, Hye-rin picked up her spoon and licked the cream from it. The parfait was delicious, but her appetite had dropped considerably. She couldn't help it. The man on the escalator had left an uneasy feeling, which was ridiculous because it had all happened so swiftly. One minute she was giggling away with Somin and Jiwoo after picking up enough items from Vixxen to last at least a year.

Somehow, Hye-rin had even been persuaded to try a few lingerie sets and pretty silk panties. Somin told her sometimes trying them on in the mirror could grant a huge confidence boost, and Jiwoo nodded sagely. The Omega had been considering the advice when she felt started to feel strange. As if...she was being watched. After everything that had happened to her in a short amount of time, Hye-rin had learned not to take her instincts for granted.

Sure enough, when she looked up, she met eyes with a man in a leather jacket and matching gloves, toying with a phone. He looked to be in his thirties, his hair short on the sides and styles in spikes up top. There was a motorcycle helmet under his armpit and a drink in the hand not holding the phone. Just the small bit of eye contact sent a violent chill down her spine, alarms blaring in her head.

Hye-rin shifted as much as she was able without alerting either of her friends something was wrong. For all she knew, nothing was. It might have been impolite to stare, but all he was doing was messing around on his phone. He could have been doing anything. Who would be bold enough to take pictures of someone in broad daylight? _'You nearly got kidnapped in broad daylight.'_ her brain had reminded her unhelpfully.

After that, she was so uncomfortable, she urged Somin and Jiwoo to climb the escalator stairs the rest of the way to the second floor of the department store. With a smile, Hye-rin told them she was that eager to get on with their shopping trip, and they'd looked at each other and grinned wide too.

The last thing she wanted was to ruin everything with unfounded paranoia. If she saw the same guy again, then she would know something was up and tell them. But they didn't. Although she kept discreetly looking over her shoulder as Jiwoo held out summer clothes for her to try on and Somin brought her accessories, Hye-rin didn't spot the man again anywhere. 

Overtime she was able to focus less on the unsettling encounter and more on what havoc her friends' were trying to convince her to wreak on Yeong Su's credit card. But every time she texted him with a wince, letting him know she was still shopping, he had given her the green light to buy whatever she needed.

If she didn't know any better she'd think he was grateful she was able to do the shopping with other girls. Hye-rin was kind of grateful too. It was bad enough to have the slick-bakery-mishap that morning. She couldn't see herself willingly walking into Vixxen with her brother in tow. 

They walked out of the department store carrying no less than four bags each, and there were going to be items sent directly to the apartment later. There were shorts, t-shirts and at their insistence, more variety. Somin had gotten her to pick out crop tops and sundresses. Jiwoo had gotten her all kinds of jeans...some ripped, some tight, some loose and in all the colors in stock. 

Hye-rin was amazed by how easily they navigated the store, as if they lived in it, and she had the feeling they were far from done. Luckily Jiwoo mentioned she was hungry, so they decided to take a lunch break in the food court.

Sitting in chairs with several cuisine options. It was an open area, so she doubted anyone would approach them with funny intentions. Then again, _because_ it was an open area, the man from earlier might have an easier time blending in to continue watching them. And if he had taken pictures, what did he want to do with them? All the scenarios she came up with sent her anxiety climbing.

"Is it not good?" Blinking, Hye-rin noticed Somin and Jiwoo watching her curiously.

Blushing, she shook her head. "No, I was just daydreaming." Hoping to change the topic, she grinned. "I still can't believe you came to visit me. I'm really happy to see you guys again!"

"We told you we missed you." Somin took a bite of the remaining kimchi, managing to make even that look far too graceful. Jiwoo snorted quietly, biting her lip as she stared down at her phone. 

"Look, look!" It was Hye-rin's turn to watch curiously as she swatted at Somin's arm, passing the cellphone over. Somin scanned whatever her girlfriend wanted to show her and started to crack up. 

“Here, you look too Hye-rin.” Accepting the offered phone, the first thing she was able to notice was that there was some kind of messaging app pulled up, specifically a group chat. And there were a long list of texts built from earlier until then.  
  
“Scroll up and start at this morning.” Jiwoo directed.

Hye-rin obediently began to scroll up, looking for the earliest time stamp from that day. When she came to it, she noticed a familiar name that made her heart skip a beat.

 **BM** : _Wait, you guys were serious about taking off for the day?_

 **Jiwoo** : _Duh!_

 **BM** : _You’re gonna go see Hye-rin while we’re stuck at work?_

 **Somin** : 😇

 **J.Seph** : 😭😭😭

 **BM** : _It’s cool. That’s cool._  
  
 **BM** : _Okay, no, it’s not. It’s really like that? Bro, they really chucked deuces on us._

 **J.Seph** : 😭😭😭

 **BM** : _Ya know you’re lucky we can handle things around here. I could run away from home and take Tae and you’d never find us._  
  
 **J.Seph** : _...But then we wouldn’t get to have snacks from the cafe anymore._

**BM** : _Shit, you’re right._ 😭 

The rest of the messages were the boys half-heartedly complaining about not getting to visit while talking themselves out of running away. Hye-rin read them fondly and then gave the phone back to its owner. She missed the boys and hoped all four could come together in the future. 

Mood lifted, Hye-rin was able to finish off her parfait, glad she could savor the treat. Her friends shared the last bites of their kimchi. "Where to next?" she wondered, very ready and willing to get back to shopping. 

It took a moment of convening as they each called out an answer.

"Accessories!" Somin clapped.

"No, she needs things for fall and winter now." Jiwoo scolded. 

Hye-rin had to admit, the blonde was right. Her wardrobe couldn't simply consist of summer clothes. When the seasons changed it'd be more of a hassle to wait and shop when she could get what she needed early. "On one condition?"

Her friends waited attentively.

"Comfy sweatshirts?" Hye-rin suggested.

Both girls came around the table and looped arms with her. "With cute sweaters!" Somin added.

"And boots, scarves, hats..." Jiwoo rattled off absently as they started to walk. 

Checking to make sure the card was safely put away, Hye-rin sighed. "I _really_ hope Yeong Su knows what he's getting into."

* * *

They breathlessly made their way into the apartment, everyone's arms full of bags. Somin and Jiwoo gaped appreciatively, and Hye-rin laughed, having had the same reaction not very long ago. “I know, right? Oppa tries to act like he’s living modestly.”   
  
“He lives like a rich bachelor in a drama.” Somin whispered, still taking everything in with round eyes.

”Where should we set your bags?” Jiwoo asked, shutting the door with her elbow.

Hye-rin realized they’d come up against a slight dilemma. She had spent her first night under her brother’s roof occupying the front room. It wasn’t really closed off, and the closest closet was in the hall near the guest bathroom. For the time being, she guessed it would do. That way her new shirts, panties and shoes wouldn’t be laying around where anyone could spot them.   
  
“Here’s fine.” she said, leading them to the closet. Aside from some jackets, a pair of winter boots and umbrellas, there wasn’t a whole lot in it currently. Which made it perfect temporary storage. “I kind of popped up on Yeong-oppa unexpectedly so he wasn’t prepared.” Hye-rin explained. She didn’t want her friends thinking her brother was being stingy with his apartment when it was just the opposite. “I’ll ask him where I can move everything later.”

Once everything had been put up, Hye-rin spun around, eyes shining. "Did you want to stick around and, you know, catch up for a while?" The older girls shared a look. "I get it if you need to head back though," she added, not wanting to pressure them when they'd already made the day so amazing.

"Do you think your brother would mind if we took a tour? I'm very interested in the bathroom area." Somin blurted. 

"She likes to see expensive showers. She says we're going to have a large one someday."

"We will!" Somin insisted. "The kind with heated tiles and multiple settings."

"Oppa's got that," Hye-rin muttered. "It's nice, but kind of overwhelming to use. Wanna see?"

"Yes!" Her friends were all too eager to follow her into the guest bathroom, where Hye-rin showed them the shower and they marveled over the shiny granite countertop. She was surprised when Somin pointed out the handles and faucet for the sink were custom designs. 

"Your brother's taste is very elegant and expensive." Jiwoo mused. 

"Actually," The Omega stared into the mirror, taking in the sight of the three of them. "I think a lot of design choices were his ex-girlfriend's. He just hasn't bothered to change them."

”Ohh...” they responded in unison. “What about this?” Jiwoo was holding up a dinosaur-shaped soap dispenser.

Snickering, Hye-rin nodded. “He’s definitely the one who picked that out.” Her phone buzzing interrupted her. Guessing it might have been Yeong Su himself, she pulled her cell out to find she was correct.

But, instead of asking for an update on what she was up to, he instead shared some information of his own. She read over the short explanation several times. ‘ _Omega health and reproduction specialist?_ ’ Hye-rin thought.

Yeong Su had managed to get the name of the doctor his friend’s girlfriend saw, and convince her to do a house visit later in the week. Judging by the emojis in the message he was very proud of that accomplishment.

She wasn’t sure exactly what the visit was supposed to be like, but she trusted in her brother enough to assume it was in her best interest.

He had mentioned wanting her to talk to an actual specialist, and given the amount she still didn’t know about being an Omega and the changes it apparently meant for her body, Hye-rin was actually anticipating talking to someone with a medical expert’s background and some answers.   
  
“Did something good happen?” Somin poked her shoulder. “You look so relieved.” 

Hye-rin texted her brother back, thanking him for his help. “Oh, Yeong-oppa just did me a big favor.”

Jiwoo started to wander toward the shower, tugging Somin by the hand. "He sounds like he cares a lot about your well-being.”

She had to agree. Meeting this world's version of Yeong Su could have gone wrong in so many ways, the worst of which being he could have outright rejected her. But instead without hesitation he was willing to share everything he had, which was quite a lot. 

"He really does. Kind of overprotective sometimes, but super reliable."

"I'm not that close to my brother," Jiwoo admitted. "Matthew and J.Seph are like older brothers to me."

"And me." Somin agreed, opening the shower door. Like the one in the master bedroom, it was more than large enough to accommodate several people. When Jiwoo got in, Somin followed, beckoning Hye-rin to join.

"Oh, I like the high ceiling in here!" Jiwoo spread her arms out to either side and twirled slowly. "And so tall."

Somin hummed in agreement, stretching her arm as far over her head as she could, as if she were measuring. Hye-rin glanced up, smiling. "What're you doing?"

"I think even Matt-oppa could fit in here with extra space." she explained.

Hye-rin froze. She wasn't sure if her friend meant to do it, but the words came with an image that made her face heat and her toes curl. She'd already seen the man in nothing but a towel, skin wet and hair plastered across his forehead. If the aftermath almost killed her, actively picturing him showering was going to make her light-heated. _'Oh. Yeah. Yep... There's the dizziness.'_ Hye-rin began fanning herself.

Jiwoo squealed. "Somin-ah! That sounds...suggestive." Staring the flustered Omega down, she elaborated firmly, "We don't shower with the boys."

"O-oh no," Somin's face was just a bright as hers, so Hye-rin at least didn't feel as bad, blushing by herself. "I just meant this would be a good size for when we install a bigger shower someday. Everyone would be able to comfortably use it." 

"Yeah, that makes sense." she agreed in a rush. At least they hadn't guessed the real reason behind her cherry red cheeks. 

"Or..." Jiwoo squinted, moving closer as a slow smirk curled her lips, "Is it because you were thinking naughty thoughts about oppa?"

Panicking, Hye-rin reached back and turned the shower on after a few false starts, soaking all three of them.

* * *

Yeong Su walked through the door to find something the apartment hadn't had in a long time: life. Toeing out of his shoes and leaving them by the door, the music producer followed the voices, finding Hye-rin and her two friends curled on the couch, laughing over a bowl of popcorn and watching TV. His heart swelled as Hye-rin caught a piece of the fluffy yellow treat between her teeth after the blonde girl threw it. The girl with orange hair clapped, taking a few pieces for herself.

All three looked snug in lounge clothes and socked feet, like they were having a great time. Truth be told, he could get use to having a kid sister around. So many years had already slipped away.

He hadn't been able to teach her to ride a bike, cheer her on at surf competitions, bug her about crushes or coach her through growing pains. But if life was really going to throw him such an incredible curveball, Yeong Su vowed he was going to be the best older brother he could, appreciate his second chance.

Not wanting to stand around unannounced, he cleared his throat, "Hey, good day I'm guessing?"

"You know it. What about you?" Hye-rin slid from her spot, greeting him with a welcome-back hug. Yeong Su was a little taken aback, but not at all unhappy. He was almost always the one that initiated hugs with Eun-kyung after a long day. She wasn't from a family of huggers, and struggled with affectionate gestures sometimes.

"We made progress. Two of the songs are written, and we decided to do twelve for the whole album."

"Progress!" she cheered. Beyond her shoulder, Yeong Su clearly felt the curious stares of his sister's guests. Hye-rin must have sensed it too, because she stepped back, smacking her forehead. "Oh, my bad. Oppa, you remember my friends from the phone? That's Jiwoo," The blonde waved. "And that's Somin." 

"Sure, I remember. It feels like we only spoke yesterday." he said, bowing. That got a laugh from them. "Make yourselves comfortable. I was just going to order some delivery again, since I forgot to stop at the grocery store. Anyone have a preference?"

"We're invited for dinner?" Jiwoo asked.

"Please stay," Hye-rin begged playfully. "You can see who I have for company if you don't." 

"I'm not too sure what I want, but maybe something that isn't oily?" Somin patted at her face. "I overdid it at lunch."

His sister rolled her eyes. "Your skin is gorgeous."

"I don't have a preference either." Jiwoo added.

"You can just surprising us, oppa. We'll be okay."

"What if I choose something really spicy?" he teased.

"We can handle the heat." Hye-rin smirked, flexing her bicep. "Right, girls?" They nodded, looking a little hesitant.

"Challenge accepted." Yeong Su crowed, rubbing his hands together.

* * *

Hye-rin laid sprawled out on the couch-turned bed, belly full and lips still tingling. Yeong Su had made good on his promise to make sure dinner was as full of spicy flavors as possible. But he had also gotten some milder options for Somin and Jiwoo in case they weren't as game to having their tongues set on fire. It was a fun meal, lots of chatting, getting to know each other better, and one memorable moment where Somin spurted water from her nose.

Yeong Su helped them clean up and put away the extra food, then headed into his room for a shower. Hye-rin led her friends back to the TV, and this time they all watched a music video countdown for the 100 hottest songs of the summer. She was positively gleeful to see several BTS songs had charted, admiring the boys dancing and looking handsome. Jiwoo excitedly pointed out two hip-hop songs on the countdown that were written by Matthew and the girl quickly downloaded them for her playlist. 

They were more than halfway through the countdown when a face she hadn't seen in almost a month dominated the screen. The girl was lying poolside in a yellow checkered bikini, her auburn hair up in pigtails and glitter around her eyes. "I love this one!" Somin exclaimed. "It's my favorite SUN.NIE song right now."

 _'But that's...Choonhee?!'_ Hye-rin couldn't have mistaken her that easily. She'd seen her best friend in a full face of make-up too many times to think it was a coincidental look-alike.

Speechless, she watched as Choonhee was lifted onto the shoulders of a shirtless man in a speedo and spun around while she continued to belt out lyrics. " _My glow, they want it! My style, I flaunt it! What I don't play about is my money~ No shade, all SUN.NIE!"_

Hye-rin was elated to see her best friend alive, and apparently doing very well. The Choonhee she had known had always been into K-pop. She was like a walking encyclopedia on different groups, and she knew countless lyrics by heart. the sultry, dulcet singing voice coming from the TV was identical to the one the Omega had heard so many times when her friend was bouncing around her room, pretending to sing her heart out on stage.

"I know her!" she said excitedly. 

"What?" Somin and Jiwoo gasped.

"I do, really!" All it took was a brief scroll through her pictures, and Hye-rin was able to show them some of the most recent photos she had together. Her world's Im Choonhee gave the camera a sexy pout, making the peace sign as she leaned on Hye-rin's shoulder. Their hair was wet, because they'd just finished splashing around in the ocean. 

"So this is like what happened with your brother?" Jiwoo examined the pic. "There's...another SUN.NIE you knew?"

"I've just grown up with her as Choonhee," Hye-rin chuckled. "But yeah, pretty much. She always had the flair and confidence to be an idol, but her parents wanted her to have a respectable, solid profession. Her older sister's becoming a doctor, and my Choonhee was studying law. To become an attorney for celebrities getting taken advantage of by the industry, she said."

SUN.NIE's song had long since ended, and there was a boy group Hye-rin didn't recognize in the middle of their own track, flipping and dancing around what looked like the aftermath of a wrecked battlefield.

"Maybe you could find and talk to her, like you did with your brother?" Jiwoo's suggestion was made to be encouraging, but Hye-rin winced. She hadn't had an opportunity to tell them the full version of the story. That she was actually deceased here, so she would have never had the opportunity to meet Choonhee in grade school. She'd lucked out with having been born at all in this universe, otherwise Yeong Su would have just thought she was some crazy stalker. 

Shrugging, Hye-rin played with the little bow on her soft sleep shorts. Because of her spontaneous moment of mischief, all three of them had changed clothes. Her friends put on some of the sleepwear they had bought for themselves to take home. Somin was in a cute, baby blue nightie that came with matching shorts, decorated in little pink ribbons at the straps and around the waist. Jiwoo wore a Doraemon shirt and matching pants covered in the famous, blue character. "Well, I..."

Somin's phone began to buzz its way across the table, so many times in a row Hye-rin thought she was getting a phone call. Somin flipped it over and sighed, "It's Matthew again. He's still whining that we've been gone all day. He says it was pretty busy."

"Tell him he survived, so it couldn't have been that bad." Jiwoo said offhandedly. 

"You know, it's gotten kind of late, and you're already dressed for bed." Hye-rin reasoned. "I don't think oppa would mind if you spent the night." 

"I'd love to have a sleepover." Jiwoo took the phone from Somin and began typing. She waited, and when the response came in her eyes lit up with mischievous glee. "I told them."

"We'll do your nails then!" She took Hye-rin's hand and made her spread her fingers. "And wear facial masks, too."

There was a small pang inside as Somin and Jiwoo both got more and more excited to do sleepover rituals. She had done those things with Choonhee, who was still fresh in her mind. Her friend would have loved to join all of them, but maybe making some new memories with new friends wasn't a betrayal but an extension of the traditions. 

"Let's wash our faces our make up off completely first." They skipped into the bathroom, Jiwoo and Somin standing at the mirror and beginning to use warm water and a few makeup wipes. Hye-rin hadn't worn anything out, so she sat on the countertop and waited patiently. "I have some masks that will remove impurities and leave our skin supple." Somin was saying, wiping carefully at her mascara. 

Hye-rin couldn't imagine how her friend could get her skin any more supple than it already was, but she was curious about what it would do to her own face. She didn't have any bumps or acne scars, and her cheeks felt _okay_. But she wanted to know how to get the same kind of glow as the older girls. Once they were done preparing, bare-faced and still beautiful, out came the exfoliating masks.

Jiwoo helped her apply hers, and it felt just like Hye-rin remembered as it began to set. 

No sooner had the blonde stepped away than Somin brandished several bottles of nail polish in front of Hye-rin's eyes. "What colors do you want? Should we use stencils too? Ooh, what about ombre nails?"

All the options Somin was rattling off truthfully made her a little dizzy. She was familiar with more basic styles, but was by no means a guru. "I'm in your expert hands." she grinned. "Anything you pick out for me is going to be pretty."

Flushing with pride, Somin selected two colors and some clear polish, then guided her back to the front room. 

"Wait, let's make some more room and we can spread out on the floor." The youngest girl suggested, picking up one end of the table on the carpet. Jiwoo grabbed the other end, and they were able to maneuver it aside. Then, Hye-rin sprang into action, getting some extra blankets and pillows from the spot where Yeong Su had told her they were stored. After setting up the bedding across the spacious floor, Somin sat on a pillow cross-legged, and Hye-rin sat in front of her.

Jiwoo sat on her knees beside them, absently beginning to play with the ends of Somin's hair. But, before the first bottle of nail polish could even be uncapped, a short chime startled the girls from their plans. Jiwoo got up to retrieve her phone. "It's the boys again. They're still feeling left out."

"Such big babies to be the oldest." Somin mumbled.

Hye-rin almost felt a little guilty. Packs did bonding activities together, after all. And this was definitely bonding. Maybe...

"Hold on, I'll be right back!" she exclaimed, leaping up and sprinting to Yeong Su's room. Knocking a couple of times, the handle turned as her brother poked his slightly wet head out, looking around like he expected an emergency. His wide eyed expression and the speed at which he'd opened the door caused Hye-rin to jump back. 

"Oh, sorry," he scratched his neck. "I got used to living alone, so that surprised me. Your friends go home?"

"They're still here, actually." Hye-rin replied. "I was thinking they could spend the night?"

Blinking, Yeong Su shrugged. "Sure..." He opened his door wider. "You need anything?"

"Uh..." Hye-rin gave him a puppy-eyed stare, hoping it was convincing. "Could I borrow your laptop?"

"My laptop?" he repeated slowly.

"Yeah, it's for a good cause." she assured. "Their packmates back home are just kind of feeling a little left out."

"Oh, I think I got it." Yeong Su turned around, and Hye-rin followed him into his bedroom. There was a shiny chrome laptop charging on his bedside table, and he scooped it up. "Just be careful, okay? I keep samples from work on here. Here, lemme put in my password."

"I will, thanks." Accepting the computer, Hye-rin bowed and dashed back to her waiting friends.

Somin looked up, tilting her head to the side. "A laptop?" 

"Yeah!" She sat it on the floor gingerly and then began navigating the menu. "This way, we can video chat with the boys on a big screen, you know?"

"That's a good idea. It beats them whining at us all night." Jiwoo nodded. "I'll tell oppa to go get his laptop too." 

A few minutes later, everything was set up, the girls back in their positions, with the addition of the laptop in a seat of honor in their small circle. J.Seph's curious face popped up, Matthew's smooshing against it as they jockeyed to be in the frame.

"Yah! You two are so ridiculous!" Jiwoo complained, "Just lean back and we'll see both of you just fine."

Hye-rin snickered over the way the boys pouted over her scolding, but obeyed nonetheless. Her laughter was swallowed in an impromptu coughing fit as Matthew's bare chest attacked her, along with the cuteness of J.Seph's messy hair.

The duo apparently were sharing a pajama set, except Matthew had chosen to forgo a shirt, while J.Seph wore his sleep shirt with the top three buttons undone. The other girls were totally unfazed, Somin taking Hye-rin's hand and setting it on her warm knee as she finally began to paint her nails. 

"So check it out." Matthew sucked his lip before smiling. "We know how sleepovers work, and we came prepared." J.Seph showed them a large bowl of green substance that looked like avocado dip. "We made this so we can do our masks too."

"Are you sure you have the right consistency?" Somin questioned. "If you don't, you could lose your eyebrows when you try to take it off." 

"It's cool, we got this." Matthew dipped two big fingers into the mixture and then leaned over J.Seph, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "We don't need you ladies to help us with everything, you know."

Hye-rin watched J.Seph's prominent flush disappear behind the thick, pasty goop as Matthew applied it liberally. He put some on his other hand and began using both hands at once to cover J.Seph's skin faster, smoothing over his cheeks with strokes of his thumb. "There." he said after applying some to J.Seph's forehead. "Lookin' sexy, J. Now do me."

Somin barely contained her giggle when J.Seph almost knocked the whole bowl over in his haste to shove his hands in the mixture. Matthew sat perfectly still, except for his bouncing knee, as J.Seph began smoothing the facial mask over his jaw. By the time Hye-rin had looked away from the boys, Somin was done with her right hand. She glanced back over to the screen, and Matthew gave her a wink and a thumbs up.

"Don't move, so I don't get it in your eye." J.Seph huffed, finishing up the application. He finished shortly after, leaving them both looking like they had volunteered themselves as extras on a cosmetics commercial. Although, the girls all looked the same, save for the color of their masks. After the boys wiped their hands clean and set the bowl aside, the sleepover continued.

"What's next?" J.Seph wondered.

"Nail painting." Jiwoo said. "I thought you knew all about sleepovers."

"That was Matt. I've never had one like this." 

"Alright let's get it!" Matthew cheered. "Sominie, can we borrow some of your polish?"

"I guess so." the girl responded, not looking up from Hye-rin's nails. "You have to replace it, though. Go get the clear makeup bag out of the bathroom. I keep some in it."

Matthew jogged off, out of sight, returning in record time with the bag Somin had described. 

"I want orange." J.Seph said immediately. Matthew pulled the requested color out.

"Let's see," his fellow Alpha hummed, reading the labels on each bottle, "I think I'm feeling Cotton Candy Burst tonight."

"Now, you have to have a steady hand so it doesn't dry streaky." Somin instructed as J.Seph offered up his hand. Matthew pulled it closer, tongue poking from between his lips as he began to copy Somin.

Hye-rin found the level of concentration he had adorable, along with J.Seph's big, nervous eyes as he alternated between watching Matthew and staring pleadingly at the screen. "You trusted him to put that mask on you, but you're worried about the way he'll do your nail polish?" Somin scoffed.

"He's got his priorities straight." Hye-rin said. "A good nail job can make or break a whole look."

"Have some faith in me, Hye-Hye." Matthew grunted. Hye-rin's heart skipped a beat, not expecting the new nickname. "I gotta make sure my bro looks fly."

"I'm finished," Somin sang out. Hye-rin gently held her nails up in front of her face and wiggled her fingers. "So...gorgeous." She had always thought she had average hands. Nothing like the pale, slender fingers of a hand model. But Somin had done an amazing job of getting her nails to look feminine and stylish. They were a deep navy that trailed into violet, the glitter in the polish giving it a twinkle.

"Are my nails going to turn out that pretty?" J.Seph asked, "Or should I lower my expectations?"

"Definitely lower your expectations." Jiwoo advised, absently brushing out Somin's hair and starting to braid it.

Hye-rin was surprised when said girl began playing with her own hair. "I love this color," she enthused, scratching a line down Hye-rin's scalp. "Can I style it for you?"

Having fun and feeling comfortable, she was quick to nod her consent. "Sure," she began to lean into her friend's touch. "If it's not too tangled."

"No, it's soft." Somin reassured as she got to work.

' _So this is what being pack must feel like._ ' she thought, blissfully. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone liked this chapter~ I had fun writing it so let me know your thoughts! Recently I also had a very fluffy dream about BTS interacting with Hye-rin, which kind of surprised me, but I'm excited to use that inspiration in the near future. She still hasn't escaped the dark elements moving on the horizon, but enjoy the cuteness for now!
> 
> And thank you for the suggestions Rayvenfell! After looking into Nu'est (assuming that's the Ren you're talking about), I'm already in love with everything about him/his vibes! I definitely intend to have strong Omegas in the story who can show Hye-rin you don't need to be trapped by stereotypical gender roles, and I'm seriously considering all your suggestions~ Thank you!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew might have a Situation on his hands. Hye-rin gets to stop in and help her brother out at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad there was such a long delay...just have been going through some things and kind of stressed out. I think the stress had caused me to experience a writer's block. Still feeling stressed, but I managed to decide how I wanted this chapter to go. Hope everyone enjoys it.

Matthew woke up slowly, already feeling the imprint of the pillow against his cheek. That was how he knew it had been a good sleep. Inhaling deeply, he shifted to raise himself up on his elbows.

The sheets slid down, the soft silk the girls suggested they all splurge on caressing his bare back. At least he made it into bed at some point.

Feeling the call of nature pull him toward the bathroom, he swung his legs out from under the blanket and nearly stepped on the laptop carelessly resting on the floor. Picking it up, he inspected it for damage, relieved to see the only thing wrong with it was the very low battery. 

It would have been a pretty big fuck up to tell his clients he lost some of the samples he was composing because he stepped on his computer. After gently setting the laptop in the middle of the bed, he stood and stretched.

The way his joints popped felt good, but there was something dry and itchy on his face. Rubbing a finger over his cheekbone, Matthew remembered the mask he and Taehyung had applied. Shit. Was it okay to sleep in? Guess there was only one way to find out.

Stumbling into the bathroom, he set to work on relieving himself, mind lazily going back to the night before. The girls called from Sokcho, and they had all had a sleepover of sorts. Which explained the dried concoction smeared on his face. He finished up and moved to the sink to wash his hands. That was when he noticed his nails, painted a little messily in the blue he borrowed from Somin. 

They were nowhere near as good as the way Somin did nails, but she had much more experience, so that was a given. Remembering the way Hye-rin’s nails looked when his packmate finished with them had him chewing on his lip a little.

Not that he paid a whole lot of attention to it, unless one of the girls got their nails done and then told him to compliment them. But damn...Hye-rin’s were the kind that would look really hot scraping down his bare chest or digging into his back while they—

Matthew grunted, splashing water on his face and starting to remove the mask. Now he was getting kind of hard...

The door swung open without warning, Taehyung walking in rubbing at his eyes. His friend was clearly still foggy with sleep, because he didn’t even notice him as he headed for the toilet. “Hey man,” Matthew greeted.

Taehyung paused with his pants already half down, eyes bugging out. “Oh, wha?” 

His hair, which was normally slicked in a sleek style that highlighted his undercut, was a fluffy mess. The same mask that Matthew was washing off still covered the other man’s face, though it had rubbed off in places. There was alertness starting to filter into Taehyung’s sleepy gaze, and Matthew’s heart warmed with fondness.

He was beyond whipped and he didn’t even care. “Don’t mind me.” Taehyung angled his body, clearly wanting some privacy. Matthew turned away, beginning to brush his teeth since he was already in the bathroom.

There were times when Taehyung was comfortable, and he got loud and chaotic. Other times he was shy and reserved. And _no time_ ever felt like the right time to just come out and tell him about how long Matthew had wanted to pin him against a wall and kiss him senseless.

Even if he could confess, it didn’t mean things would go his way. That was pretty much the same reason he also kept a lid on his feelings when it came to Bangtan.

That had started out admiring Namjoon’s big hands and thinking it was cute he could be so mature yet completely uncoordinated.

Gradually, the admiration jumped to Jin’s broad shoulders and the graceful curvature of his neck, which had so many spots to mark up. The more time the two packs spent together, the more reasons he added to his list about why he found them hot or adorable or both. 

The next thing he knew, his head was spinning with a total of eight crushes. Seven of those eight were already perfectly happy and dating. 

The toilet flushed, and then Taehyung joined him at the other side of the sink to wash his hands and face. As he neared his two minute mark, Matthew stopped to spit and rinse out his mouth. What could he say to alleviate some of the awkwardness of the moment? "Who knew the gunk the girls use would work so well, huh? Your skin's practically glowing."

Taehyung blinked, lowering the towel he had been using to dab his face dry. Their eyes met in the mirror and Matthew wanted to hit himself in the face. In what way _that_ helped him he had no clue. Nevertheless, a shy smile lit Tae's dark eyes. "Oh, thanks. You too." Placing the towel back on its hook, the other Alpha ticked his head, considering Matthew for a minute. "You missed a little smudge."

He tried pointing to the spot on his own face, and Matt swiped a thumb across the place he thought Taehyung was trying to show him, only to find his finger clean. After making several more attempts and not getting it, Taehyung huffed, stepping closer.

"Just stay still and let me," he murmured, leaning right up against Matthew's chest. It wasn't that he hadn't dreamed of being this close, or that they hadn't been before, but...pretending they were just bros chilling inches apart would have been easier if he could stop focusing on how good Taehyung's breath smelt and the pretty pink shade of his lips.

Before he could do something reckless and go for it, Taehyung leaned back. "You're good now." He sounded a little breathy, but that could have just been Matt's wishful thinking. 

"Right, thanks," Not knowing what to do with his hands, Matthew slapped one down on his friend's shoulder. "Awright, well, gonna brew some coffee." he said, by way of convenient excuse. He reached for the doorknob and grabbed air several times while looking back at Tae. "You want?"

"Sure," he agreed. "Mint and Hazelnut blend?"

"You got it." Throwing out a thumbs up, Matthew vacated the bathroom, and shuffled into the kitchen. Damn, the girls had inadvertently given him a great opportunity and he was botching it left and right. 

Speaking of, he was a little jealous they got to go back to Sokcho so soon, hang with Hye-rin, the Omega he kept thinking about. ' _Shit, man! You really trying to go for unattainable crush number nine?_ ' Leaning his arm against the fridge and then resting his forehead on it, Matthew took a deep breath. ' _Maybe I'm just pent the fuck up,_ ' he considered, abandoning the fridge and fooling around with the coffee machine. ' _It's been a while since I got laid good._ ' Problem was, he knew he had bigger problems than a dry spell. 

* * *

Hye-rin stirred the spoon around in her mug before lifting it to her lips. It tasted great, something she had her friends to thank for. _'Who knew I could have been having iced cocoa in the summer all these years!'_

Before leaving, the girls told her about an iced version of hot chocolate they served in their café. It was easy to make and retained all the flavor that made the winter-time counterpart such a classic drink. Miraculously, Hye-rin found the ingredients for it in Yeong Su's semi-barren kitchen. She walked around the house sipping it, not really wanting to be still.   
  
It was a nice day, and the summer heat was tame compared to the way it had been a month ago. If not surfing, then a brisk walk nearby would be good.

Yeong Su was still in the process of getting her a residency pass, but assured her she was on the list of those allowed up, so if she needed to go there wouldn’t be any problems.

Considering security had waved her up when she got back from shopping after checking for her name the day before, she wasn’t too concerned. But, some of what she had bought in stores was scheduled to be delivered soon, so Hye-rin considered that she shouldn’t go too far. Just as she was polishing off the last of her cold cocoa, making her third lap around the apartment, the faint sound of a phone ringing in another room caught her attention.

Hye-rin had to take a minute to think about where she left it, sliding into the kitchen and scooping it off the counter right before it went to voicemail. 

Licking her lips free of a chocolate mustache, Hye-rin accepted the call. "Hello?" 

" _Hey Hye-rin, got a minute?_ "

The girl shrugged, then remembered her brother couldn't see that. "Yeah, sure." 

" _Good. You wouldn't mind coming by my studio would you?_ "

"Why? Is it bring your sister to work day?" she joked.

" _Something like that_ ," he replied, slightly cryptic. " _It'll be easier to explain if you just come. I'll pay for your ride. So see you in thirty?_ "

"I..."

Before she could so much as get a word in, he'd already hung up. Rolling her eyes, Hye-rin started to get her bag. "Was it necessary to be so mysterious?" Not that her curiosity wasn't piqued. She had to assume he was working, and he hadn't mentioned accidentally leaving anything important home. ' _Wonder what he's up to?_ '

* * *

"No. Stop." Yoongi took off his headphones, clearly becoming frustrated. "That beat doesn't sound right either." 

Jimin groaned, flopping dramatically onto the couch after removing his own headphones. "Then what are we gonna do? The song's not going to get finished at this rate." The other boys had been watching the two struggle with what was supposed to be a duet for over an hour. 

"We'll take a break until Yeong Su-sunbae gets back." Namjoon suggested, trying to keep everyone optimistic. "He says he's gonna brainstorm." It certainly wasn't the first time they had some creative differences about a track. And it always worked out. ARMY trusted them to provide music full of their hard work and love, and the boys trusted each other. 

"I'll get everyone some snacks," Jin volunteered. "Anyone want to come?"

Hoseok hopped up, swinging one arm until the joint popped loudly. "Lead the way, hyung."

"It's too early for a snack," Taehyung mumbled. "Breakfast wasn't that long ago."

"Well, I could eat." Jungkook declared.

"You could _always_ eat," Taehyung nudged him. "You have an opportunistic appetite."

Namjoon watched the two of them start lightly wrestling on Yeong Su's couch. Seeing how put out Jimin and Yoongi still looked, he approached them slowly. "Hey," Patting Jimin's shoulder first, he wrapped an arm around the younger boy in a light hug. "I don't think there was anything wrong with the way you sang that last verse. It's not your voice, it's just..."

"The tempo." Yoongi swiveled around in his chair, staring off into the distance thoughtfully. "Sorry, I'm the one who keeps suggesting we change it."

Jimin shook his head, "No, it wouldn't feel like a collab with you if you settled for anything less than perfect."

The group leader was just relieved his packmates weren't as down as he had anticipated. Every one of them took their work seriously, from the first steps of the creative process to the last seconds of a concert before they went backstage. And Namjoon understood very well where Yoongi was coming from. There were countless songs that would forever remain half-finished scribbles in a notebook because they just didn't have the "it" he was looking for to include on an album.

However, in this case, both Jimin and Yoongi seemed pretty satisfied with the lyrics and their arrangement. It was just a matter of nailing that elusive perfect beat. 

A flicker of a smile briefly appeared, before Yoongi swung his chair back around. "So what's Yeong Su planning do you think? He seemed pretty confident he could find a solution."

Neither he nor Jimin could reply before they heard one of Jin's infamous laughs in the hallway. "Ah, 2Seok is back." 

Hoseok burst in first, arms loaded with a few pieces of fruit and some snacks from a vending machine. Seokjin had brought the drinks. 

"Oh," Jungkook's eyes lit up as he shoved Taehyung off and stood. "I'll help with that." He rushed up to their hyungs, grabbing at some cookies that were about to fall out of Hoseok's grip. 

"Thanks for the food," he beamed, opening the package and tossing several of the tiny cookies into his mouth. 

Hobi looked down and laughed. "Uh...my arms are still full though."

"Mine too!" Jin frowned. 

"Here, let me get that." Namjoon helped Jin pass out the drinks as Hoseok distributed snacks.

The pack Alpha had just accepted an apple when the studio door slammed open again, Yeong Su grinning like a maniac, hair in disarray as he tugged none other than Hye-rin with him. "Ready to feel inspired?"

The maknae line quickly became all smiles, tripping over themselves to greet their friend. Jimin very nearly getting his foot caught on a chair leg and going down. 

"Short time, no see," she waved. "I can see you're all kind of busy, so, oppa what am I doing here?"

Yeong Su jogged around the studio until he pulled a very shiny electric guitar down from the wall. Namjoon didn't recognize the brand, but given the signature scrawled across its glossy finish, it was unlikely to be a run-of-the-mill model.

He plugged it into a nearby amp than shoved it at his sister. "You're about to help us get unstuck from this rut. So just follow my lead." he explained, going to sit behind his keyboard and putting on headphones. "You guys ready?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a short-ish chapter but there's more to come so hang tight. Matthew's definitely simping hard, and Hye-rin helps the boys make some music next chapter! I'm hoping to have more of her interacting with the hyung line since she's already pretty good friends with the younger boys and some of them have had a few *ahem* spicy moments while thinking of her. There will also be more integration into dark elements so be on the look out for that too. 
> 
> Also, please let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin gets to see BTS record in person, but a visit from the doctor may or may not have her singing the blues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another rare chapter update. Life has been very busy and still kind of stressful, but I found the motivation to write this.

The boys went from baffled to impressed as the Moon siblings began to play. The song's intro arrangement remained the same, but with the sound generated by Hye-rin's guitar playing and her brother's keyboard, it gave the music a completely different quality. And Yoongi...had to admit that he liked what he was hearing. Jimin's voice was pitched high, steady and clear, as hypnotic as a siren's call.

_Love is a shapeshifter_

_The first touch is a kiss_ _of spring_

 _The last chokes me_ _like smoke_

_Something I can't hold_

_But I still drift to you, baby_

_An anchor that could ground us or weigh us down_

Hye-rin deftly strummed, concentrated on following Yeong Su's keyboard playing by ear. Suddenly, a song that didn't have a distinct vibe was a soft rock love ballad. It wasn't the way Yoongi would have thought about producing, but as he added his own verses of rap overlaid with the electric guitar rhythm, it was evident that this worked. Jimin had really wanted to try a love ballad when it was decided they would be a subunit. Yoongi always had strong feelings about music, but soft ones for Jimin, regardless of their well-known banter.

As his breath nearly hitched from the sheer emotion contained in the lyrics, the Alpha knew he was right to believe in his dongsaeng. Yeong Su knew what he was doing too. The track captured a very universal feeling. There was moodiness, lamenting that there was no guarantee falling in love wouldn't end in heartbreak or loss.

Yet hearts were defiant in their resilience to love boldly anyway. The last verse was one the two of them sang together, again at Jimin's insistence. Yoongi had been a little reluctant, wondering just how well his raspy vocals would be received against Jimin's dulcet ones. But, with the background music it now worked perfectly. To think they hadn't even put a new beat to it yet!

By the time he took off his headphones, the rapper could feel his heart starting to beat faster in excitement. This was the kind of thing that made him love music-making.

As soon as Yeong Su signaled that it was recorded, the rest of the pack was ready to congratulate them. "The song really hit me here this time," Seokjin was telling Hoseok, hand over his chest. "I felt anxious and hopeful, like someone about to confess to my first crush."

"It's describing a very bittersweet kind of side to love, so the way your instrumentals shift the dynamics really went well with the theme. Going with ‘Smokescreen’ was a good name choice." Namjoon patted Yeong Su's shoulder, the producer grinning.

"It was all Yoongi and Jimin, we just helped carry them home, right?" he punched Hye-rin lightly in the shoulder, and she was quick to nod.

"I...I can't believe I just played guitar on one of your tracks!" she squealed, pressing her hands to her face.

"I can't believe you're so good on guitar and didn't tell us." Taehyung countered.

"I've been learning since I was young, but I'm no rock and roll star." She played with a strand of her sandy brown hair. "I have so many emotions. Jimin's singing in person is so pretty it hurts."

Jimin's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, his eyes forming their signature crescents.

Hye-rin gestured at him, "And I mean, your singing voice is just as good as your rapping, you know? Holy shit, it's got the perfect rasp for soft rock." The girl gushed, her eyes bright as she smiled up at Yoongi. 

He froze, not at all sure how to respond. Hoseok snickered, poking him in the shoulder. "Thanks," he replied. “You’re good at playing by ear.” 

“No big thing.” she flushed a little. Maybe not to her, but being a pianist, Yoongi knew it wasn’t something everyone could do.

Yeong Su sat down and began fiddling with his equipment, putting the finishing touches on what they recorded. While he worked, he explained to Hye-rin what he wanted to try with the sound of the next track. Hoseok, Taehyung and Jin’s subunit track.

His own recording behind him, and the revelation that Yeong Su did very much seem to know what he was doing, Yoongi was intrigued by what it would sound like. It would be his first time hearing the lyrics.

While they were preoccupied getting ready, Jimin rested on the couch next to Jungkook to watch and he leaned against the wall, watching Hye-rin gesticulate something with her hands. 

“Soft rock, huh?” Namjoon murmured, standing beside him. “I think they’re right. You pull it off well, hyung.”

”I didn’t hate it.” he admitted.

”Yeah, I know, otherwise you’d be doing another recording right now.” The younger man snickered. “It’s okay to say you’re pleased.” 

“Alright. It’s going well. Working with Yeong Su I mean.” 

Namjoon nodded, pleased. “I think so too. Everyone seems to be getting a lot out of it.”

Yeah, since Yeong Su pulled Hye-rin into the room, the maknaes seemed especially motivated. It wouldn’t surprise him at all if they were trying to impress her.

“Ready?”

He and Namjoon looked over at the trio in the recording booth, all of them flashing smiles or nodding.

”What’s the song called again?” Yoongi asked quietly as the intro started.

His pack leader thought for a moment, “Um, ‘Paradise Eyes’, I think.”

As Jin began to croon lyrics, the song began to shape itself into a very different vibe than the last one.

_Keep watching me with earnest eyes_

_Help me hold onto the paradise of this moment (paradise eyes)_

_See the galaxy of wonder stretched out between you and I_

* * *

Hye-rin couldn’t get over how giddy she was. She almost twirled right into the apartment door if Yeong Su hadn’t been standing there to guide her back by the shoulders. She hefted the big brown paper backs of groceries higher in her arms, laughing at her own clumsiness.

When her brother got out his key and opened the door, she shuffled in behind him, closing it with her foot. “That was fun.”

Yeong Su made his way into the kitchen and set the bag he had down on the counter. "I didn't know you were so into grocery shopping for dairy."

"Don't be a dork!" Hye-rin playfully glared. "I meant helping at your studio today."

"Yeah, I know, I was just teasing." Yeong Su began to take food from the bags to put it away. She joined him. "Told you you'd be a big help. Learn to trust me a little more."

Ducking her head sheepishly, Hye-rin hoisted out some carrots and celery and set them down in the fridge. "Well, can you blame me for being a little skeptical at first? You're a big time producer, and I'd never been in a recording studio before in my life."

Coming up behind her, Yeong Su reached over her shoulder to put in the carton of milk and a few cups of yogurt. "How'd you like it?”

”Ignoring your ulterior motives to get me to come in? I thought it was great to watch a BTS song recording happen live.” she smiled. “Oh,” Hye-rin reached up and patted his head. “And you were impressive too, oppa.”

”Yeah,” Yeong Su crossed his arms. “I was pretty inspired today so...wait, ulterior motives?”

Hye-rin walked backwards out of the kitchen, sticking out her tongue. “There’s no way you needed live guitar. You could have added it in digitally. You just wanted to show off your studio, right?”

”You’ve already seen it.” her brother pointed out. “And we tried to digitally do instruments. It wasn’t working. I’m talented, but I can’t play two instruments at once. You definitely saved the day.”

She had to admit that the praise felt good. Her instrumentals were going to be on an actual BTS album and that in itself was going to have her flying pretty high.

“You know, I’m glad you found something that makes you feel so fulfilled.” She said as they finished putting away the groceries.

Yeong Su paused, a slow smile creeping onto his lips. “In a way I guess that’s because...of you. I put all my passion toward music because it was the only way I knew how to cope with...losing you. It was like therapy.”

Gently nudging him with her hip, Hye-rin gave him a quick hug. “I’m here now, _and_ you’re still a heavyweight in the industry. I’m proud of you, oppa.” 

Her brother’s eyes shone brightly underneath the hair in his face. “I’m proud of you too. You being here is still crazy, being able to talk to you and joke with you...it’s all I wanted, you know?” 

Hye-rin couldn’t resist pinching at the apple of his cheek, “So cute!”

Laughing, Yeong Su gently pulled her hand away by the wrist. ”That’s my line.”

* * *

The doorbell rang a little after noon. Hye-rin almost vaulted off the couch, nervously wiping her clammy palms down the front of her pants. As she made her way to get the door, already knowing what to expect, she couldn’t help but be kind of nervous.

Taking a glimpse through the peephole, she saw a woman in a white lab coat and carrying a duffle bag. ‘ _Here we go...’_ The Omega took a deep breath and unlocked the door, trying not to look freaked out.

“Hey, are you...the doctor?” Kind of obvious that she was, but nervous energy made Hye-rin awkward.   
  
“I am. Are you Moon Hye-rin?” 

“Yep, that’s me. Please come in.” She shuffled aside to allow the woman entry. Sneaking glances, Hye-rin couldn’t help but think this was not the kind of person she was expecting.

The doctor was gorgeous; her tan skin glowed, chic star-shaped sunglasses resting on the bridge of her nose, and a motorcycle helmet tucked up under her arm. Her dyed golden blonde hair was thrown up into two buns, and she wore a form-fitting ruffled black top under her lab coat paired with leggings.

”It’s nice to meet you, Hye-rin. You can call me Dr. Jessi. I specialize in Omega health and reproduction.” She offered her available hand, and Hye-rin shook it.

The doctor set her helmet down on the table and her bag down on the couch, bending over to unzip it. “I’m not too big on formalities. Some of my clients even refer to me as just Jessi, unnie or noona if they’re younger. Those are fine too.” 

“O-okay,” The casualness was a bit unexpected, Hye-rin having been expecting a firm and clinical personality. But, she couldn’t deny that Jessi’s approach made her feel a little more at ease.

“Sooo, let’s sit and talk about why I’m here today.” She plopped down on the couch without waiting for an invitation and Hye-rin followed her lead. “This’ll be your first time seeing me. I already received all the proper paperwork faxed to my office. Normally, I wouldn’t do a home visit for a new patient but uh, I heard this is kind of an unusual circumstance...” Hye-rin could feel the other woman looking her up and down, but in a very casual way, “so I made the exception.”

”Thank you, Dr. unnie,” Hye-rin tried, easing back into the cushions. “I mean, Jessi Dr...er...thank you.”

“You nervous?” The doctor quirked a brow.

“Sort of...”

Don’t be. I’ve been doing this a while now, and I’m an Omega too. I’m definitely not here to judge. Whatever your health goals are, I’m sure we can work something out.”

Dropping her shoulders a little, she took a deep breath and then exhaled. “Sorry, I’ve just...never had an appointment like this. I guess I’m afraid something’s wrong.”

More like, she knew next to nothing about her second gender because it didn’t exist until a few weeks ago. But she didn’t want Dr. Jessi to think she needed to see a psychologist too.

”Don’t think like that, girl. If something’s wrong we’ll handle it together. In fact, why don’t I start by telling you a little about what I do.”

”Sure, sounds good.”

”I help clients find what’s right for their needs specifically as it pertains to Omega physiology. Anything from prescribing heat suppressants to helping figure out the cause of irregular slick leakage, making sure they’re healthy enough to be safely pupped, you name it.”  
  


While it all sounded important, and was probably information she needed to know—if not now then eventually—Hye-rin really didn’t have much clue what she was talking about. But how to go about asking? 

"So you know my case isn't...normal?" she asked, cautious about revealing more. Yeong Su, bless him, had been a good big brother and helped her navigate most of the paperwork. Some parts he filled out by himself, blushing but determined. 

“Yeah. The paperwork your brother submitted on your behalf says you presented late. Not until you were nineteen?” Jessi had eased a laptop out of her bag and seemed to be reading over medical notes.

Hye-rin slowly nodded, because what else could she do? As far as she knew, most people presented at the start of puberty, sometimes as young as ten years old. Though it was more often between the ages of thirteen to sixteen.

Nineteen was by all accounts on the internet a “late bloomer” but still possible. Saying she hadn’t technically presented until age twenty-one would probably make her a medical commodity. 

“Yes, I was a little late.”

”Nothing wrong with that,” Jessi said, making a few clicks. “All our bodies are designed a little different even if we have the same presentation, you know?”

Hye-rin was really starting to dig Jessi and her approachable attitude more by the minute. It was more like talking to an older friend and less like being judged by a medical professional.

”Your parents are both listed as Betas, and your brother's one too, right?"

Hye-rin again could only nod. She hadn't even met this world's version of her parents, but if Yeong Su put that they were Betas, who was she to disagree? 

"Damn girl, you're kind of rare." Jessi muttered, typing away. " Odds of you turning out an Omega from two Beta parents was like twenty percent. But then, genetics are weird as hell anyway. Let's look at family history."

Hye-rin squirmed, trying to follow along as the doctor read her notes. "Hm-hm-hmm..." she hummed. "Ah, yep. Your paternal grandpa is an Alpha. Your maternal grandpa is...an Omega. Both your grandmothers are listed as Betas." 

All of it was news to her, so Hye-rin didn't have to fake her surprise. "Huh."

"First time hearing about it?"

Hye-rin, opting for honesty, shrugged. "Actually yeah. I don't...see my grandparents much." Well, partial honesty anyway. She saw her grandparents in Brazil more frequently than she saw her mother's parents, even though the latter set lived right here in South Korea. But, they were pretty traditional, and had never really gotten over their daughter marrying a foreigner. 

They also were partial to Yeong Su when they visited, since he at least looked fully Korean. Hye-rin, having inherited more looks from her father, got the same distantly cordial treatment that he did. 

Jessi left it at that, moving on to the next topic. "Alright, kit gloves coming off, you ready?" she wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Hye-rin grinned sheepishly. "It depends, I guess."

"I'll throw you an easy one first then. Roughly when was your last heat?"

 _'That's an easy one?'_ Mentally, the younger Omega was paling. It probably was easy for someone who had been living as an Omega since they began puberty. If heats happened as frequently as periods, then she was in trouble.

Again, Hye-rin thought honesty would be the best policy. "I've...never had one actually."

Jessi's face grew a little more serious. "Never?"

"N-No?" Heat began traveling across her face and down her neck. It wasn't exactly her fault she had been dumped into Earth Two without any warning, but shame was starting to creep in just the same.

"Hey, remember what I said?" A warm hand landed on top of her hand. "I'm not here to judge. Never having a heat in the two years since you've presented is something I definitely want to look into, but you know, even for people who present in their early teens, their bodies can take time to get on a schedule."

"Really?" Hye-rin perked up, feeling a tiny bit better.

"In some cases you'll find Omegas who don't have their first heat until almost a year after their second gender shows up. Alphas too, but you know," Jessi added, "They don't like to admit stuff like that."

"So I...could still get mine?" Hye-rin wasn't even sure why she sounded hopeful. What if heats were messy and inconvenient? Just reading about slick, which came along with heats, sounded like they weren't by any means discreet. 

"Technically, sure." Jessi retracted her hand, returning to typing in notes. "What I'd like to do before I leave today is run a uranalysis if that's okay with you. That's the easiest way to get a look at where your hormone levels are in this moment. I can see if they're normal, or spiked, which could indicate a pending pre-heat."

Finding her voice, Hye-rin ventured timidly, "Uh, pre-heat? You know, would you mind taking it from the top, as far as what to expect?"

"Sure, sure," Jessi actually put her laptop aside and got comfortable, spreading her arms out behind her and tucking her shoeless feet underneath her. "Pre-heat starts out a little different for everyone, but the most common characteristics to expect are increased appetite and sometimes funky cravings, a stronger desire for physical intimacy, which could just mean you really wanna touch and cuddle. Some sensitivity and tingling in the groin area too. Of course, increased slick production is also common."

Hye-rin blinked. "So, pregnancy cravings, a need for more hugs and horniness?" 

Jessi threw her head back and laughed. "Sounds like a nice little summary to me."

Hye-rin swallowed, carding a hand through her hair. "Great..."

"We'll get more into it soon, but if you're not seeing anyone, I advise maybe purchasing some toys. My personal favorites were always the ribbed ones with pulsating knots." 

The young woman blushed, almost wanting to hide her face away. They were blowing way past her comfort zone so fast. If she was even allowed such a thing in these circumstances. "I've never owned any toys."

"Whoo, okay." Jessi smiled. "Then let me dial it back some. I actually make referrals for local shops that cater to...our needs. Most will give you a pretty nice discount on your first purchase, and send coupons around the time of your heat, in case you're ever craving anything new."

Hye-rin nodded. "With you so far." 

"Awesome. Then here's my part two to all this. Your first heat, if and when it happens, is probably going to be...strong."

Some of the apprehension that she had slowly been shedding crept right back into Hye-rin's bloodstream. All she could think about were the intense period cramps that benched her from a big competition when she was in high school, and all the blood and bloating and _yuck_. 

"How...strong?"

Jessi's eyes were sympathetic. "I don't know. I'm sure after once or twice, it'll regulate, die down in intensity. That's how it is for most people who have strong heats the first time around. There _are_ disorders where every heat is super intense, but I don't want you to panic over that. Let's focus on what you might need to expect for the first one, okay?"

"Okay..."

"First, most people have theirs every two to four months, and if you're around other Omegas often, your heats might start to sync up."

"Just like periods." Hye-rin groaned.

The Omegan doctor sighed, "Yeah, it sucks, I know. But it doesn't have to be a bad thing, depending on what arrangements you choose to make."

"What...do you mean?"

"Some Omegas prefer to spend their heats in the company of their own. They all nest together and offer each other support. It's also possible for your heat to start coinciding with an Alpha's rut, which, in case you're unaware, is their heightened period of sexual...well, everything. That's when they're most virile, so if you ever spend a heat with an Alpha in rut or close to it, make sure you use proper protection if you're not ready for pupping."

Mercifully, the woman paused so she could wrap her head around everything. It was starting to swell to the size of a hot air balloon with all the new, crucial information she was taking in. "Protection if I'm with an Alpha, okay." Hye-rin had always made it a habit to use it even when she was in serious relationships. On top of being choosy with partners. So, if she ever found herself in such a situation, she had no problems adopting the same habits to protect herself. 

"I'd use it even if you have an Alpha partner who's not rutting, though, because _you'll_ be very fertile."

An ominous warning, as Hye-rin had no desire for children anytime soon. She'd at least like to finish college and have a career for a year or two before considering it. "Do you think it's good if I started taking birth control?" She had been on it before, but it just wasn't something she needed recently, so she had long since run out of refills.

"It wouldn't hurt if you're planning to find someone soon. I can write up a prescription. Sorry I can't help with heat suppressants for right now. I kind of just think it'd be good to at least let your body get the worst of them out of the way first. If you have one, once it's over, I'd be happy to revisit it with you though."

"That sounds fair enough." Heats still sounded daunting, but she was willing to rely on Dr. Jessi's expertise. "Anything else I should know?"

"Well," Jessi crossed her legs. "Heats have some of the same things pre-heats do. You might still have the strong cravings for strange foods, and you'll be making loads of slick if you're healthy, so it might be good to invest in some extra protection for your mattress. You'll still want touch but a hug or a peck on the cheek isn't going to cut it by that point, if you know what I mean."

Hye-rin knew _just_ what she meant, and her next words confirmed it.

"Your body might as well be one big erogenous zone. You're going to be sensitive the closer you get to full blown heat. Being tearful isn't uncommon, so just be patient with yourself if you start crying more than usual. Oh, and if you find someone, make sure you're filling up between sessions. That's important—water, drinks with lots of electrolytes, foods high in fiber, protien and good carbs."

"That's a lot." 

"Don't get overwhelmed," Jessi soothed. "If you need me to, I'll email you a typed summary of instructions, and send some links that could help as far as resources."

"That'd be helpful." Hye-rin agreed. "You mentioned partners a couple of times. I'm not...with anyone right now though."

Jessi worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "Can I be real with you here?"

"Yeah, yeah. Please do!" 

"Normally, I'd never pressure anyone into anything. I have loads of clients who are perfectly fine passing heats by themselves as long as they have toys, somewhere safe to nest and maybe a good friend or family member to check on them. I also have clients who are in happy relationships with other Omegas or Betas. All the shit doctors use to claim about how Omegas could only be satisfied with their most biologically compatible match, Alphas, is exaggerated." she stated, voice passionate. "Alphas and Omegas might seem like two sides of the same coin to some people, but our bodies are pretty fucking amazing. Given some time, we can adapt. Omegas will still have heats and be fertile, but a successful relationship for an Omega doesn't have to revolve around a knot." 

Hye-rin had deduced that knots were something only Alphas could offer, but to hear Jessi say they weren't always a necessary part of the equation was...a relief. She didn't really intend to settle into her new life long enough to consider finding someone. Not until she exhausted every avenue possible for a way home. But, if by chance she was truly stuck, and one day she met someone...the last thing Hye-rin wanted was to wonder if she was allowed to be happy with someone who wasn't an Alpha.

"That being said, a strong ass heat means your body would most likely prepare itself to take a knot. For that reason only I'd say an Alpha partner your very first time is the _most_ ideal choice." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter, hope everyone enjoyed! Sorry a lot of it was exposition about Omega health but I've wanted to write that in for ages now. lol Yes, Hye-rin's new doctor is THE Jessi!! I was originally going to introduce her at some point as an Alpha, but after a brilliant reader suggestion to include strong personalities like her as Omegas, I figured, why not?!
> 
> Hye-rin is possibly gonna have to deal with an upcoming heat. Dun-dun-drama~ I bet everyone is wondering what she's going to do and if she's gonna pick someone or multiple someone's to come and help her. Let me know what you think of that!
> 
> In the meantime, she's going to begin to really get to know the hyung line of BTS, as I have some fun interactions planned~ Speaking of BTS, as anyone who knows their discography is probably already aware of, those are not real songs/lyrics. I made them up for the purposes of this story.
> 
> Anyway, comments are welcome! Take care!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hye-rin’s determined to get on with her life, Omega status or not. But that means making the right preparations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the responses last chapter! Hearing from readers always makes me really motivated to keep going. I’m still relatively new to K-Pop and of course writing it, so I always feel like I’m going to goof up the story and people will stop enjoying it. Thank you for your continued support. 🥺🙏🏽😭

Hye-rin lifted the lid of the pan, getting a good whiff of the nakji bokkeum. “How’s it coming with that salad, Yeongie? This is basically ready.”

Over by the chopping board, her brother was taking his time dicing up onions and peppers. “G-good.” he sniffled, turning to her with watery eyes. “Almost done here too.”

Hye-rin turned down the heat of the stove so the octopus was at a simmer, then took a look at the state of the rice. Every grain was cooked to perfection as far as she could tell. Sliding past her teary brother, Hye-rin got out some plates. “You can probably stop now. Those are so finely chopped they’re basically minced.“ she laughed.   
  
Huffing, Yeong Su shot her a half hearted glare as he moved the bowl of lettuce closer to the board and began to stir everything together. “Are you already complaining? Maybe it’s hard to see when you’re cry—when there’s sweat in your eyes.” 

Nodding, she moved closer, standing on her tiptoes and pecking his cheek. “I know. Thanks, oppa. I can finish up here if you want to go get the _sweat_ out of your eyes.”   
  
He grumbled about having a cheeky little sister, but still moved to the sink to splash water into his eyes. Hye-rin swiftly finished preparing the salad, taking the bowl to the kitchen table and then retrieving drinks from the fridge.

”You know your way around the kitchen, huh?”

She looked over at where her brother was patting his face, looking much better now that he was away from any onions. “Just a lot of time helping appa and making meals when I moved out on my own. I didn’t want to fall in the bad habit of eating ramen and unhealthy snacks too often. So I tried to stay on top of preparing meals. What about you?” 

"I did most of the cooking when I was with my last girlfriend." he revealed, piling rice and nakji bokkeum onto his plate. "In middle school I started to help eomma in the kitchen. Simple tasks at first and then more advanced ones over time. Not to brag, but I can throw a pretty decent meal together." 

Hye-rin swapped places with him, making her own plate. "Great, so you're cooking next then."

"Sure, it's only fair." he said. "You did great tonight, by the way." They both took their plates to the table and settled into their seats so that they faced each other. Hye-rin was used to eating most of her meals alone in the tiny kitchen of her utility apartment, so all the company she had lately, first with Matthew, Jiwoo, Somin and J.Seph and now with her brother, was starting to make her feel a little spoiled. 

After all, she lived for lunch dates with Choonhee and their other friends, or family meals when she went to visit her parents. "Thanks, but I think the freshness of the ingredients always makes it more flavorful when it's seafood."

Yeong Su took his first bite of the spicy dish, "True. One of the better parts of living in an oceanside city, eh?"

"There's that, the surfing, the fact that even air in the city tastes more like the ocean than car fumes, I could go on..." Hye-rin replied, waving her chopsticks after each point on her list.

Yeong Su smiled fondly. "You really are my sister, aren't you? And appa's daughter. The sea is in your blood."

Hye-rin swallowed a large mouthful of rice, pleased with how it had turned out. "Is there any way for it not to be with our family? If your upbringing was anything like mine, then you spent a lot of summers in Brazil, right? I fell in love with surfing all over again every time I'd visit."

"Mom and Dad...they really are going to be so overjoyed to see you." he whispered. "Whenever you're ready, I mean."

Hye-rin knew that was still something that needed revisiting. She couldn't just let them keep thinking she was dead when there was a chance they had been hurting as deeply as Yeong Su for so many years. But she had also reasoned that if the crazy situation she found herself in resolved itself, and she went back to her universe, they would be heartbroken all over again, just like Yeong Su. Assuming they accepted her as quickly as he did in the first place.

"Hey. You got quiet." Yeong Su pointed out. "I-I'm sorry. I need to stop rushing you. I can't imagine the way your life's been flipped upside down in such a short time."

"It's not you, so don't worry about it," she grasped the food with her chopsticks but ended up pushing it around. "It's mostly me, being so unsure of myself. That's not like me. I'm really glad I found you. I grew up with us being so close as siblings, to fall into a world where we weren't or even worse, where you didn't accept me, probably would have been something I couldn't recover from." Hesitantly, she peeked over at him, to see he was listening intently. "I'm just...worried it'll be the same if I meet eomma and appa here, you know? They've never met _me_ and I've never met _them_."

"I," Yeong Su sighed. "Well I can't say I've been there, but I understand. I think they'd just be happy to have their daughter back. Even if you're...not the exact same one they lost. The rest of the family," he scratched his head. "I'm not sure. That might be more complicated. But, they'd have to accept it eventually. Scents don't lie, and they aren't imitable. You smell just like Hye-rin because you _are_ her. ...You're my little sister." he finished quietly.

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Hye-rin felt her chest warm. She was so grateful this universe had done something right in making this version of her brother so supportive. "Thanks oppa. I'm really starting to appreciate your sappiness."

"Oi," he snapped the end of his chopsticks under her nose, and Hye-rin drew away with a giggle. 

"In all seriousness, I think it would be nice to establish some normalcy here." she resumed eating, "I still think I should get a job to at least help with groceries."

"And I'm _still_ telling you that's completely unnecessary." he rebuffed. "What do I have to do to get you to stop worrying about my finances? Show you my bank account?"

"Just because you have it, doesn't mean I shouldn't try and pull my weight." Hye-rin huffed. "I was doing okay affording my own apartment and groceries before."

"Now you're just like eomma's daughter. So stubborn." he grumbled, sipping his water. " _If_ you get a job, it shouldn't be because you think you need to. And, I really think you should wait until you're acclimated to living here first." She opened her mouth to protest, but he leveled her with a firm look. "Give yourself a break, Hye-rin; you've got twenty-one years worth of information to catch up on about what you need to know."

"Speaking of that," she began, "I wonder what I should do about school. I had...a scholarship and everything. I don't want to give up on my education. It was important to me. I just don't know how easy pursuing it all over again would be now that I don't even have school records."

"Huh. You're right that's not going to be easy, but if you want to go to college, I'm not going to stop you." He began to play with one of his bracelets. "I'll help you figure it out. I just want you to be safe, know everything you need to know about being an Omega first. I know you've already started college before all this. I know you understand there's a subculture there, like its own mini world with its own social rules."

Hye-rin nodded.

"But you've never been to college with second genders coming into play. I just want to be sure you know what to look out for, okay?"

Spoken like a true, protective older brother. Of course, Hye-rin couldn't deny he had a solid point. Her only fear with waiting was potentially falling further behind. It was the middle of August, which meant classes should have already resumed. 

"Fine, fine. I understand," she smiled. "By the way, thanks for arranging the appointment for me. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Jessi was super chill. She even gave me her personal number in case I have any questions or wanted to vent to another Omega about anything."

"Glad it went well." Shoveling food into his mouth and quickly swallowing, he stared in awkward concern. "Everything's fine...right?"

"I hope so. She did some testing. When I hear back I should know when to expect my first heat."

Yeong Su coughed, "R-right. And then you can prepare."

Not sure if she should risk testing the waters or not, Hye-rin thought for a moment, glancing up at her brother. "Oppa? Have you ever...been there for an Omega's heat?"

The question sent him into a coughing fit, since he had been mid-chew. Hye-rin nearly sprang across the table, ready to help, but he held up a hand and continued to cough. Just when she was about to ignore him in favor of saving him, Yeong Su coughed up the food he had been choking on into a napkin. 

"I'm so sorry!" she yelped, pressing a hand over her mouth.

"That caught me off guard." Yeong Su dabbed at his once-again-watering eyes. "And it's s'kay. I'm just not use to having a bird's and bees talk with my little sister." Carding a hand through his hair, he blew out a long breath. "As a matter of fact, yeah. Freshman year in college, my roommate suddenly went into heat. Kind of caught us both off guard, since it wasn't a scheduled one. It was pretty intense. He wasn't seeing anyone, so I had to help him out."

"What was the outcome?" she asked, brimming with curiosity. "I mean was it awkward afterwards? Did it...did it help him? Since you're you know, a Beta?"

"The good thing was, he had a bag full of toys." Yeong Su explained. "I'd say if anything, it brought us closer. We ended up becoming better friends, and dated for two terms. Parted on good terms too. We still get together and hang out from time to time. With his fiancé now, which isn't as weird as you'd expect it to be."

Hye-rin lost herself in thinking back to what Jessi had said. An Alpha partner would be _ideal_ for her first heat. And, technically she knew plenty of Alphas. But there was no way in hell she could ask one of them. Ask celebrities she hadn't known for very long to be with her? Asking Somin was off the table, even if she could muster up the courage. Matthew and J.Seph didn't seem like good choices either. She couldn't put them in that position.

"You okay there?" Her brother's voice filtered through her thoughts. "You can't just spring that on me then check out to dreamland." 

"I've got a lot of decisions to make soon. I need to give some serious consideration on what's right for me." she said primly. Hye-rin didn't even know if she was in pre-heat yet. She didn't _feel_ any different. Then again it had only been what, a month since she arrived? Assuming her body had begun its transformation the day she woke up on the beach, then she might be dealing with a month or even three more if she was lucky, before any of this was a serious concern. _'At least I probably have some time.'_

Jessi had mentioned Heat Houses, as a potential last resort. It turned out, much like the Slick Bakeries, it was a regulated and legitimate business. If anything, they operated similar to brothels, except an Omega could pay to stay with an Alpha through the duration of their heat.

According to her new doctor, Alphas underwent strict health examines routinely, and client privacy and comfort was key. Clients could make requests for a specific Alpha if they'd been there before or if they had an idea of what they would need, and the Heat House management would match them with their ideal partner.

She had ended it with encouragement to consider someone she knew and trusted first before going with that option. Hye-rin had promised she would, but, her stomach erupted with butterflies and her mind flooded with embarrassing scenarios every time she thought of approaching an Alpha she was friendly with to ask them.

"Okay, okay...obviously your visit with the doctor left you with a lot on your mind." Yeong Su put his hands up in surrender. "If you've got questions it's probably better to ask her for obvious reasons. But if you just want to talk..." he paused. "Actually I guess she's a better choice for that too. Well," Finally throwing his hands up, Yeong Su grinned, "All I'm trying to say is, no matter what you do, I've got your back."

"I know," Hye-rin immediately replied. That was one thing she wasn't even slightly afraid about.

* * *

Sighing, Hye-rin stepped back to admire her sleeping arrangements. After she mentioned a stiff neck in passing, Yeong Su wasted no time getting her some big, fluffy pillows. They were amazing, but sometimes the Omega worried about suffocating because they were _that_ deep and fluffy.

Having arranged them how she wanted, she flopped back against them, already dressed for bed. The TV played in the background, but she didn't pay it any attention. Instead, she searched up more about Choonhee.

Even if this was not the best friend she had known for most of her life, Hye-rin was still eager to know as much as possible. Knowing her stage name was SUN.NIE it was easy to find out what company she was under, when she had debuted, her discography, and even where she would be performing next. "Wow," she whistled. "Sold out arenas in ten cities."

SUN.NIE was the hot "it" girl of her K-pop generation, having been featured in several dramas and even a play on top of dominating as a female soloist. "We always knew you had star quality. I'm glad in this world you were able to live up to it."

After listening to all the songs from two separate eras, Hye-rin had more than a few new songs on her playlist. Watching some of Choonhee's interviews and v-lives over the years put a bittersweet smile on her face. She still had the same sass and humor. It made her miss her friend all the more.

Suddenly, a prick of loneliness decided to take seed. Choonhee was living her life, living her dreams, all without being aware she existed. Hye-rin didn't blame her. There was no way for her to _know_ that somewhere out there in another universe they were best friends. It was a freak twist of fate she was even here. It was just hard not to miss what she had left behind sometimes. The girl tried very hard not to dwell on it, fearing the dark road of thoughts it would lead her to. But, she might never get back to what she had left behind.

The thought was very...disorienting.

Her mind took her back to that first day, wandering around trying to make sense of everything. She'd ended up at the first familiar place she could think of, the seafood bar. That was when things had started to take a turn for the better. Hye-rin still got a pool of liquid warmth in her chest when she thought of how Matthew had stepped into her life without a second thought, just when she needed him most.

Hye-rin felt her chest flutter, and she groaned, phone slipping out of her hand. Just like that, she had gone from missing Choonhee to missing Matthew. It was only slightly better, because at least she had his number. But to call or not to call? It was late but not _that_ late.

Would he be busy, or pick up? Would it be weird if she called out of the blue and said she was thinking about him? Friends did that all the time. So why was she hesitating? Rolling to flop onto her belly, Hye-rin buried her face into her folded arms. Indecision was the enemy, and she had been feeling a lot of it since becoming an Omega. It probably wasn't actually part of her second gender, but it felt like an added inconvenience. All the second guessing was killing her. 

_'What would the_ old _Hye-rin do?'_ Definitely stop being a chicken shit, and dial his number, for starters. Groping around, Hye-rin located her phone and scrolled through her contacts. Sucking in a deep breath, she clumsily tapped the one she wanted with her thumb.

As it rang, she cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder, using her hand to play with the ends of her hair. Hye-rin didn't get why her emotions were jumping between giddy and terrified, like she was talking to a crush.

Thinking back though, that was exactly why she felt the way she did. Deep down Hye-rin knew that for a while. 

" _Hello?_ " 

Swallowing all the saliva that had quickly pulled in her mouth, Hye-rin cleared her throat to speak. "Hey, Matthew. Hope I'm not bothering you."

_"Hye-rin? Nah, this is perfect! Everybody just up and left me all by myself. Tae's DJing tonight and the girls are on a date. I was getting bored anyway. What's up?"_

"I guess I was just in the same boat," she said, hoping to sound casual. "My brother's doing some work in his room, and I thought it was a while since I heard from you."

 _"Aw, you were thinking of me?"_ he cooed, making her cheeks heat. _"I feel special."_

"I'm hanging up now." Hye-rin retorted. 

_"No, no, wait!"_ he practically whined, which made her feel oddly proud. " _I'm glad you called. I miss you."_

Three words and any leverage she thought she had flew out the window. Hye-rin should have known he was too blunt for her to keep the upper-hand. Since he was the one who went there first, Hye-rin leaned into her phone a little more, dopey smile on her lips. "I miss you too. I know we met under poor circumstances, but hanging with you was fun while you were here." Realizing how she sounded, the Omega jerked. "Hanging with your whole pack was fun."

There was a pause, and for a fleeting moment, she was kind of worried she had scared him off. Was that too direct? It was Matthew, so how could it be? 

" _Yeah?_ " he chuckled. _"I'm gonna have to come see my girl then."_

Her heartrate doubled, this man as bad for her health as all the cholesterol in a giant bacon burger from her favorite themed-diner. "Ha, I'll hold you to that then." 

" _What about tomorrow? My schedule's wide open if you're down._ " 

Hye-rin sat straight up, her wide eyes finding the couple locked in a passionate kiss on whatever random show was playing. "T-Tomorrow? You really wanna visit that soon?"

 _"Hell yeah!"_ he cheered. " _If it's okay._ " 

Hye-rin was afraid she would blurt out something very stupid and very desperate. Prompting herself to mentally count to ten, she took a measured breath before replying. "Sure, I haven't been up to much besides hanging out with oppa."

_"Alright! Let's go out and tear shit up then!"_

Hye-rin giggled. "You sound like you're going to come ready to make trouble."

" _I always do,_ " he teased. " _So be ready for it. I'm gonna be in town bright and early. Get a good sleep._ "

Hye-rin said goodbye and hung up, still barely processing what had happened. She had wanted to keep up the banter before they hung up, but her voice had been stuck. Now that she was by herself in the silence, the words came unglued from her throat. "I guess...it's a date then." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended it on a cute note, or so I hope. The return of BM next chapter, and maybe a surprise visit from another potential suitor? I want to emphasize that while Hye-rin is most aware of her crush on Matthew, she ends up with every member of BTS, as well as Matthew and J.Seph. It'll just take time for her to come to understand she likes more than one person. I hope everyone enjoyed, as always. And I can't wait to write more fun interactions next chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s not a date, but a really close imitation, that’s all!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter is definite calm before the eventual storm. Very fluffy. I needed to write something like this with everything going on in my life, so I hope readers like it too. 💖

At some point, the light filter of drowsiness wore off and Hye-rin found herself kicking out of the sheets. The apartment was dark, still, wrapped in a cocoon of tranquility that suggested she should still be asleep. It was a mixture of restlessness and excitement that woke her up, a glimpse at the time revealing it was just before dawn. Matthew was supposed to be coming in a couple of hours, so they could spend most of the day hanging out. 

In a way, Hye-rin thought proudly, she had woken up right on time. Heart thrumming with giddiness, she made short work of brushing her teeth, washing her face, showering and applying moisturizer.

Wrapped in a towel, the girl stood in the mirror and blow dried her hair. Cutting the power, she fingered a lock and wondered if she should do anything special with it. _'This isn't even a date,'_ she reminded herself. _'It's just two friends...hanging out. Totally platonic.'_ Besides, if they were going to do a lot of outdoor activities, it probably would be a waste to go for anything too fancy. Then again, what if they'd be indoors? That would justify something different. _'Well it doesn't have to be too much. I doubt we'll be going to any galas.'_

Hye-rin's fingers nimbly wove a fishtail braid down one section of her hair in the center, leaving the rest to hang free. It was an active style that didn't look like she spent as much time deciding on it as she had. "Now for clothes," she whispered. Digging through the new clothes that had been delivered not long ago, Hye-rin located a pair of white shorts and a designer belt that Somin had slipped into her purchases. "That girl really does love her accessories."

Pulling it through her beltloops, the Omega realized it was real leather, cringing as she thought of the price tag her friend had hurriedly ripped off just as soon as they bought it.

"I'll eat this if you try to see it." Somin had threatened. Jiwoo had confirmed that she would. Hye-rin backed off, if only so Somin didn't follow through on the threat.

While Choonhee was far more versed on foreign brands than she was, Hye-rin remembered Somin gushing about how the belt was from a limited collection by an Italian designer. It was without a doubt the most expensive strip of material that had ever held up her pants.

Pushing its price to the back of her mind, Hye-rin next picked out several shirts. "I really wish I could get a second opinion on these..." she sighed, holding the first up to her torso in front of the mirror. Even without anyone around to advise her, Hye-rin decided on her own that the top wouldn't pair well with her attempts at 'casual outing attire'.

The next shirt was a dark green tank top that stopped just above her belly button, offering a modest peek of skin. Considering the desired look she was going for, Hye-rin could see herself in it, but her eyes kept drifting down to the last choice. A crop top that Somin and Jiwoo egged her on especially hard into purchasing.

Hye-rin could blame her friends' bullying for why she was holding it up, already imagining what it would do for her silhouette. But the truth was she hadn't fought all that much against it. The material was soft and breathable, the color was a flattering gold Jiwoo pointed out would set off her skin and eyes. The length completely showed off her toned abdomen, stopping two inches under her bustline.

As if compelled by a spell, Hye-rin began pulling the shirt over her head. The Omega didn't exactly hate the instant confidence boost it gave her. Tying the strings at the back of her neck, she half spun. "This is definitely not as subtle and casual as I was trying to go for. But what can I say? I like it." Settling for being just a little adventurous, Hye-rin admired the outfit in the mirror another minute. "I need someone to help me tie the other set of strings..." 

She perked up at the knock on the bathroom door. "Hye-rin? You're up already?" 

Perfect timing. 

Yeong Su was holding a cup of coffee when she opened the door, running a hand through his disheveled hair. Hye-rin waited patiently as he took a slow sip, his lips quirked in a lazy smile as he waved. "You...going somewhere?"

Hye-rin grinned, sucking in a deep breath. "Yes, actually. Remember how I told you last night I had plans? I'll be going out today." 

Another sip, lucidity slowly appearing in his eyes. "Cool. But...by yourself?"

"Not...exactly." Hye-rin didn't know why she was suddenly feeling shy. When Yeong Su quirked a brow she bit her lip to quiet the nervous giggles leaking out. "My friend Matthew's coming. We're hanging out."

"Hanging out...on a date?"

"It's not a date!" she quickly defended. "Anyway, would you mind helping me tie this?" Presenting her back, she pointed down at the dangling strings. "Can't really reach."

Hye-rin felt her brother step closer, making a small, amused noise. "Hold this." She accepted the coffee mug, smelling the dregs still left in the bottom as he began to tie the strings. "It's not a date, huh? You sure about that?"

"He's free today. I'm free indefinitely. We haven't hung out since they went back to Seoul. It's that simple."

Unconsciously, she began to fidget, recalling Matthew's enthusiasm on the phone from the night before. Yeong Su leaned away, patting her back after finishing tying a neat little bow. Her brother took his coffee back, drained the last little bit, and fluffed his bangs. "Okay, okay. I get it." Lifting one hand to show his surrender, he shook his head. "Not a date, just a hang out between friends."

"Exactly," Hye-rin nodded proudly. "Good oppa," she leaned up and patted his head. "You _are_ teachable."

The girl only got a few seconds of laughs at her brother's expense before he turned the tables, wrestling her into a headlock. "Careful. My big brother rights to embarrass you when he gets here are still in full effect."

"You wouldn't!" She laughed, trying to wriggle free while pushing at his arm. 

"Should we find out?" Yeong Su grinned maniacally, releasing her suddenly. Hye-rin stumbled, managing to catch herself before falling. 

"Wow, coffee is supposed to make people nicer in the morning," she complained, trying to smooth any flyaway hairs, "but it just makes you evil. Nice to know."

"Haha. Wait until you really decide to go on a date." He winked, spinning around with a sigh. "Gotta go shave and get ready now or else I'll be late for work."

Hye-rin trailed behind her brother, waving as he returned to his room and she dug in the hall closet for some shoes. Pulling out a pair of sturdy brown ankle boots designed for hiking, the girl sat down and began undoing the strings. She wasn't sure what kind of day Matthew had in mind, but it was always best to be prepared to do a lot of walking. There was plenty to see in her hometown, the beautiful, bright seaside views just one of many attractions.

Standing, Hye-rin glanced at her phone to find she had some time to spare. Dancing her way into the kitchen, Hye-rin grabbed a granola bar from the counter, tapping her foot as she ate. _'Yeong Su-oppa is such a dork.'_ He really thought it was a date. A guy and a girl could spend the day together without anything romantic happening. Plus, for all she knew Matthew wouldn't come alone. He could bring any of the others. And they would still have fun. As friends.

She turned, leaning her elbows on the counter and craning her head at the door. What was it about the thought of the doorbell ringing that set her heart off on a cross-country sprint? Hye-rin chewed another bite, trying to piece it together. When she was a kid, she'd get just as over-the-moon when Choonhee or one of her other friends came over. Granted, she never really had crushes on any of them, so...small difference.

By the time she had finished off her light breakfast and dusted off the crumbs, Yeong Su was poking his head from his room. "He here yet?" 

"Not yet." Another glance at the time revealed she had about thirty minutes. "Oppa, please don't tell me you're going to hang around until he gets here."

Clearing his throat, her brother stepped fully out of his bedroom to reveal he was finally dressed. Adjusting the collar of his black button up and pulling on a watch, he eyed her for a minute. "I was thinking about it." 

"What happened to needing to get to work?" Hye-rin shook her head in 'disappointment'.

It wasn't much different than in the past. When she had a date and even when she was in steady relationships, her brother was always "checking in" as he called it. It wasn't usually overbearing, so Hye-rin didn't mind much. Most of the people she dated thought he was cool. She had joked that one of her ex-boyfriend's was more interested in him than her.

He'd been a total fanboy, always wanting to take her on 'dates' to see her brother's band play. It didn't work out, but she did have a cool older brother, so she didn't blame him much. The only boyfriend he really hadn't liked was the one who ended up getting rough and controlling later in their relationship.

Contrary to that, Hye-rin was pretty sure he was mostly teasing her right now. "Wait, I know what this is really about?" She wiggled her eyebrows, Yeong Su's expression becoming bemused. "You want the bromance to pick up where it left off." Nothing said she couldn't do a little teasing back. 

"Damn, guess I was too transparent." She smirked as he played along, clutching his chest. "It's those cheekbones and biceps." 

"Understandable," Hye-rin began walking backwards. "But it doesn't need to be a competition. There's plenty of Matthew to go around. We can share his friendship. I'm going to go put on some scent blockers before I forget. I bought the kind specifically designed to be longer-lasting for Omegas."

"Good plan." Yeong Su commented. "Better hurry though."

"Back at you. Go to work, oppa!"

Yeong Su only laughed, going to grab his bag and keys. Hye-rin went back into the guest bathroom, finding the scent blocker put away like she'd left it. _'I can't believe I almost forgot to apply this. That would've been bad. It's going to take some getting use to before it becomes habit, I guess.'_ She made sure she was thorough, applying it to all applicable areas the way the label directed. The can had barely been returned to its spot under the sink when the doorbell rang. Hye-rin jumped up so fast she nearly hit her head. "I got it!"

Yeong Su laughed harder than before from his doorway. Hye-rin ignored him completely, tossing on a light, orange summer vest made of gauzy material on her way to the door. 

Matthew stared down at her, eyes lighting up. "Whoa, now I feel under-dressed." Trying not to blush, Hye-rin took him in. His look was as casual as she had been attempting, but during this season in a place like Sokcho City he'd fit right in. Guys wore loose muscle shirts and cargo shorts all the time. 

"Shut up," she mumbled. "It's not like I'm in a dress." Everyone wore crop tops when the weather was nice all the time in Sokcho. It wasn't like he wasn't showing any skin himself. Thanks to the muscle shirt, the world was privy to his beefy arms and a pretty good amount of smooth, tanned flesh starting at his armpits and extending to the middle of his ribcage. 

"You look really good." Hye-rin melted at the sincerity in the praise, and when he reached out those long arms, she met him half way.

Of course Yeong Su, like the meddling older brother he was, had to interrupt the hug with a playful, "Ooh!"

Letting go of Matthew, Hye-rin turned around with a demanding point. "Oppa! Go...to...work!"

"Hey, Matthew, right?" Her brother slid smoothly from the shadows, stealing all of her friend's attention away.

"Sunbae!" The taller man bowed. "Man what an honor to meet such a beast in the industry."

"You don't have to call me sunbae." Hye-rin could only pout as the men got reacquainted from their brief interaction over the phone, sharing a friendly side hug, complete with pats on the back. "But it's good to officially meet you too, man. Hye-rin kept saying how she didn't want me to, because I'd embarrass her and stuff. She was really climbing the walls waiting."

Feeling her face become dangerously close to red, Hye-rin pushed at her brother's back, determined to get him out the door once and for all. "You mean like you're doing right now?" she screeched. "Um, just ignore him." She begged Matthew. "I'm ready to go if you are."

That said, she all but jerked him out the door, leaving Yeong Su to lock up.

* * *

Amused, Matthew watched Hye-rin fumble to buckle her seatbelt. She hadn't stop holding his hand until they were in the elevator and she realized it, not that he minded. He was use to Somin and Jiwoo dragging him around by the hand when they shopped (then unloading bags into his arms). It definitely appealed to his Alpha to have a smaller hand in his; he felt like a protector. 

Just as he was about to reach over and help, she snapped it in place with a triumphant whoop. “So,” she looked over, “We didn’t really talk about where we were going today. I don’t know how much of Sokcho you’ve seen, but if you want suggestions, I’m your girl.”

 _I'm your girl._ It sounded way too enticing, even if he knew the way she meant it and the way he imagined it weren't close to the same. 

"Thanks, but I got it." Matthew slipped in one of his wireless earpods and queued up the navigation app on his phone, setting it down in the cupholder. "Asking for your help with directions would kind of ruin the surprise."

"Okay," Hye-rin made herself comfortable in the seat as he started up the truck. "I'll figure it out eventually, you know. Unless you want me to close my eyes." 

"That would help," he agreed, pulling away from the expensive high-rise and into traffic.

He grinned when she placed her palms over her eyes. "Like this?" 

"Uh-uh, you could be peeking under there."

Sighing, Hye-rin lowered them into her lap, but kept her lids shut tight. "What about now? I really can't see anything."

"Good. Sit tight and just...I dunno, vibe or something." 

"...Vibe?" she giggled. 

Hoping to distract her, Matthew switched on the radio. A BTS song came blaring out of the speakers. _Dope_ , to be exact. 

Shifting, Hye-rin cocked her head and listened. "Wait, isn't this..."

"Yeah, one of their throwbacks. It's still really popular though." he drummed the steering wheel to the beat as the rap verses came up.

"You're pretty good at that." she commented. Matthew hadn't even realized he'd been rapping along quietly until she pointed it out. 

"Before I decided to produce, I thought about auditioning as a solo act at some agency." He'd even thought about asking his pack to audition with him, so they could be a quartette group.

But then Jiwoo's modeling career had really taken off, Somin had finished culinary school and opened a café (which they all poured attention into) and thanks to his work in the underground music scene, J.Seph became a highly requested DJ in nightclubs all over Seoul. Everyone was so happy following their own dreams, Matthew never brought up his idea to them. The last thing he wanted was for them to feel obligated to join him. 

"Well..." she paused, eyes still closed and hands in her lap. "You still could, right? I know you write songs too, so that's a step in the right direction already. If you want to go for it in the future, I mean." He really appreciated her optimism and encouragement.

Some people might have scoffed and told him he missed his opportunities, or asked why he couldn't just be satisfied with the success he'd already found. Hye-rin's comment felt neither pushy nor judgmental, just a casual, friendly suggestion.

The app told him to turn right off a main street in a half mile.

"I don't really know what's stopping me from trying." he admitted. "I know the pack would be supportive. And I'm already really passionate about making fun, original music. I just...idol life means a lot of traveling and concerts. Bangtan comes back from world tours wiped. It takes a toll, so I'm glad they have each other."

Which, truth be told, was another reason he had considered trying to audition with the others. If they were going to embark on such a big transition, it only really felt right to do it together. "Kinda makes me needy and shit, I guess. But I'd miss them a lot if I was off touring most of the year. I like being able to listen to Tae's new beats before he debuts them, and try Somin's recipes or help her make deliveries. Jiwoo travels for fashion shows and ads but she's mostly based in Seoul, so we get to see her most of the year and just hang around together."

Hye-rin reached over, swiping at air, then the dashboard. After a couple more unsuccessful attempts at...whatever she was doing, the Omega let out the cutest sound of frustration. "Could you tell me what general direction your arm is in?" 

Matthew burst into peels of laughter, realizing she had been trying to comfort him. "Little more to your left and down about three inches." 

"Got it," She still had to stretch, due to her short arm length, which had him fighting another chuckle. Finally, Hye-rin successfully patted his bare skin, sending a jolt right through him. "Just so you know, nothing's needy about not wanting to be too far away from them. They're family to you. Picking having more chances at quality time over a career that could take you away from home for long periods is respectable. And I'd wink at you right now but I still can't open my eyes so that would be weird." 

"You're cute as fuck, you know that?" Matthew hadn't meant to blurt it out. Anyone else might have stammered in embarrassment, but he had always owned his bluntness before. No sense in trying to censor it now. He was speaking from the heart. Hye-rin owned her quirkiness, and it was adorable. 

"I..." The Omega seemed a bit more taken aback in the face of his compliment. A small, bashful laugh slipped past her lips. "I actually don't know if I did, but now I do, so thank you." 

The Alpha was so busy admiring her, he almost missed the app feeding him another direction. Ah, shit! Matthew had almost missed the final turn, and going off the expression of the driver behind him, his sudden swerve was not appreciated. Normally, he would have rolled down the window and offered a "My bad, bro!" but Hye-rin squealing as she almost knocked her head against the window distracted him.

"My bad," he told her instead, thoughtlessly placing his hand on her head and stroking it apologetically several times. "But hey, now we're here!" Managing to maneuver them into the parking lot without further incident, he killed the engine and began reaching into the backseat.

"Can I...can I open my eyes now?"

"Hold up a second!" Matthew grabbed the box he'd placed there, leaning over and waving a hand in front of her face curiously. She didn't flinch, which meant she really wasn't peeking. Not that he really thought she would. Placing the rectangular package in her lap, he leaned away and waited excitedly. "Now."

Hye-rin's eyes slowly peeled open, only for her to immediately squint and put her sun visor down. "Aish, now I'm seeing spots." After blinking several times and rubbing her eyes for good measure, the girl finally seemed to notice the package in her lap. "Oh, what's this?" Her pretty nails hooked under the lid of the box, but she still looked over like she was asking for permission.

"Yeah, go for it!"

She definitely did not need to be told twice, flipping up the lid and gasping at its contents. Reaching in, Hye-rin reverently pulled out one shiny blue inline skate, holding it between both hands. "For me?"

"I spent last night looking up popular spots and, you know, I got this idea." Funny, Matthew groaned inside, how he could tell the girl he found her 'cute as fuck' but explaining a simple gift left him tongue-tied and red-cheeked. "We don't have to do it." 

"Are you kidding?" Hye-rin's eyes widened. "When did I ever say that? I'm going to try these on right now, shit!" Clearly, there was a slight miscalculation between her seat and how far she had to the ground. Matthew caught her arm as she nearly tripped out of the truck, but she was unharmed and undeterred. "I don't know how you knew, but I _love_ skating on sunny days like today."

Matthew climbed out of the driver's seat, grabbing his skateboard from the back as Hye-rin took off her boots and exchanged them for the skates. He jogged around to see if she needed help, but she already had the first one all tied. So, wanting to feel useful, Matthew put the second one on for her, and tied it neatly to match the first. 

"Thanks!" she chirped, swinging her legs. "Okay now I just need to be careful getting down..." Tucking his board under one arm, he hoisted her up by the waist before she could even think of jumping. Something told him if he brought her back to her brother on crutches it wouldn't end well for him. "Or you could...do that."

* * *

Skating was pretty similar to riding a bike, both being pretty hard to completely forget once learned. Hye-rin took to her new skates like she had broken them in for years, finding it just as pleasant as she remembered.

It was so tempting to take off down the boardwalk, weave through the joggers and parents pushing strollers and other people zipping around on their own skates. But as much as she longed to feel the wind whip her hair into a mess, Hye-rin wanted to enjoy Matthew's company even more.

They had gotten ice cream, and it was no trouble for her to lick at the cone and still glide along smoothly. Matthew, on the other hand, kept switching his attention between eating his two scoops before they melted, and watching his footwork as he tried to build momentum on the board. 

Hye-rin hadn't wanted to say anything, licking quietly at the fruity, creamy flavor she selected. "You...need some help?" It was just that watching him was starting to feel like watching those videos where puppies tried to drink from doggy water fountains only for their owners to stop pressing the button just before they got the water on their tongues. 

"I got it," he reassured. Hye-rin smiled skeptically, the doubt only rising when he hit a crack in the sidewalk and his next lick got ice cream all over his nose. 

Her cheeks inflated and her chest burnt a little with the effort not to laugh. Skating to his other side, Hye-rin took his available hand in hers, picking up her pace. Sure he was kind of heavy, but she was use to swimming in the ocean. Her muscles were primed for a little strain. "You focus on eating, I'll steer for now since you got us here."

Once she got in the rhythm of pulling, it really didn't feel that different than if she was by herself. They skated across the expanse of boardwalk, the sea glittering under the sunshine and just enough of a breeze blowing to keep the weather comfortable. 

Some children they passed stopped their parents and pointed, eyes bright as they cheered them on. Hye-rin waved before glancing back at Matthew. "Better, right?"

"I feel bad making you do it, but yeah, it's better when I can taste my ice cream and not just smell it."

"You didn't make me, I volunteered." she corrected. The shrill whistle of a catcall caught her attention. A group of guys and one girl were watching them, the man in the front tipping his sunglasses down and leering. Use to those types of mild advances over the years, she waved, just like she had at the kids, but otherwise skated right past. 

"We're literally holding hands." Matthew stated, not appearing nearly as amused. 

"Well, you never know, right?" Hye-rin mused, "They could have been whistling at _you_."

Matthew, having finished his cone faster than she was expecting, skated in front of her, so that he was doing the towing. "My turn now," 

Unsure why he wanted to lead but not minding, Hye-rin shrugged, just enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of a perfect day out on the pier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned it in the top note section, but with all the difficult things going on in my life (thank you healthcare profession) I think I needed this as much as anyone. Writing it was pretty cathartic. I definitely still plan to have the story get progressively darker, like I keep mentioning, and some readers already have theories on how, which I love. 🤭
> 
> But for now hopefully everyone's heart feels lighter after reading this. Stay well, and let me know what you thought! Next chapter wil be part 2 of the "not date" hangout~ 🤗💜

**Author's Note:**

> I hope readers like this~Feedback is appreciated.  
> I wanted Hye-rin to be a sort of chill but at times oblivious surfer chick. She knows nothing about A/B/O stuff so that might lead to some interesting situations.


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